Protestsupdated 52m ago3 min read
France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Says Curfews Kept Paris, Marseille, Lyon Calm
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Partial curfews were imposed in Paris, Lyon, Nice and other cities after October 17 unrest. Prime Minister Lecornu said overnight curfews helped keep the night calm in major cities.
23 outlets told this the same way.
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Curfews bring a pause
France’s cities were calm overnight under curfews imposed after last weekend’s scenes of chaos, as protest groups announced a new round of demonstrations next Saturday. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on X that “The targeted curfews have contributed to the calm of last night,” and he added the measure could be extended “where the situation requires it.” Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told CNews television that 123 people held at the weekend were in detention awaiting trial, and he said in a separate TV appearance that around 2,500 remained in custody for questioning.
France’s government framed the curfews as a response to security shortcomings that left the centres of cities such as Paris, Marseille and Lyon largely unprotected from post-demonstration rioters and looters. The government also faced a political calendar shaped by candidates from the far right and far left leading the field for a presidential election next April and May, while Prime Minister Lecornu said “My determination to restore order is absolute.”
Lyon curfew defied
In Lyon, a group of far-right individuals dressed in black marched through the streets despite the prohibition on demonstrations, and the prefecture said the initial rally at Place Bellecour could not take note of the anti-gathering decree due to the delay. The prefecture told the media that “individuals later identified as belonging to the far-right then formed a group after blending insidiously into the rally to reclaim it,” and it also said “To our knowledge, there was no public order disturbance.” Several LFI elected officials reacted on X, and Rhone deputy Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi wrote that “the prohibition of gatherings and demonstrations apparently does not apply to far-right groups, who can march while shouting racist slogans with impunity.”
Lyon mayor Grégory Doucet “strongly condemns” the action of the far-right group and the hateful slogans that were chanted, and he said Lyon needed calm, not new tensions. The prefect Étienne Guyot said he was “furious at this attempt to recuperate,” and the prefecture indicated the night during the curfew was “very calm,” counting “one arrest and two tickets.”
Next protests and fallout
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said new curfews would be decided where the situation requires it, and he added that the decisions would be made on the ground by prefects in coordination with mayors. The government’s approach also included a business-focused response, with the Minister of the Economy Roland Lescure announcing “from Friday” a zero-interest loan up to “€50,000,” operated by Bpifrance, for all damaged businesses. The Minister of Public Accounts David Amiel said he asked tax authorities and Urssaf for a “simplified spread of tax and social charges” for merchants affected by the attacks and looting.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said the criminal response to the violence must be “extremely firm,” warning that if it was not, “merchants and residents will take justice into their own hands.” As protest groups prepared for another Saturday, France’s main student union UNEF pledged to keep up the pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and his government to fix what students and pupils say is a broken and under-financed education system.