Paris extended a partial curfew this week as the city braces for another wave of unrest. The curfew restricts movement in Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping area from 23:00 to 06:00 local time until Monday. The capital’s prefecture confirmed the move, citing orders from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
The Louvre, Orsay, and Picasso museums will close on Saturday amid fears of further demonstrations. Marseille and Lyon have banned all protests this weekend. Public transport in Marseille will be suspended on Saturday to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s riots, which left more than 500 businesses damaged.
France is still dealing with the fallout from protests on 17 October, when 550,000 people marched in cities across the country against rising fuel prices and the cost of living. The largely peaceful demonstrations were backed by unions, the gilets jaunes movement, and student groups, but they were overshadowed by violent clashes, looting, and arson. Lyon’s tourism office was set on fire, and in Limoges, a clock tower and parts of the city hall collapsed after a fire. Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the Limoges city hall fire, including a 66-year-old man.
In Paris, rioters vandalised the iconic Place de la République, taking control of parts of the city. Authorities have responded with curfews and increased police presence. Interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger said the government would deploy 20% more officers than last weekend. He also revealed that 2,700 people have been arrested nationwide, with more than 1,000 appearing in court. Of those detained, half had no prior criminal record, according to Le Figaro.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed 217 people had been convicted and jailed following fast-track trials for last weekend’s disorder. The number is expected to rise.
President Emmanuel Macron met with intelligence and security officials on Thursday to prepare for Saturday’s protests. He said only authorised union demonstrations would be allowed. “The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations. Those who want to continue to demonstrate, when they are trade union organisations, will have alternative routes proposed by the prefects,” Macron said. He added that protests organised by non-union groups would be banned where possible.
Macron condemned what he described as “political and even seditious acts organised by far-left groups that aim to bring down the Republic.” The unrest comes as Macron approaches the final months of his presidency ahead of elections scheduled for 18 April and 1 May next year.
Curfews are in place in several cities beyond Paris, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, Lille, Toulon, Rouen, and Grenoble. Marseille’s prefecture extended the curfew for minors to cover the entire population on Saturday night from 23:00 to 05:00. Authorities have taken similar measures across the country to curb gatherings and prevent violence.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised a “massive” police deployment for the weekend, but some officers have raised concerns about a lack of training for handling large crowds.
The gilets jaunes movement was prominent in last weekend’s protests. Paris authorities have banned several of their planned marches for this weekend.
The unrest has disrupted daily life and damaged historic and commercial sites. The government’s response aims to restore order before Saturday’s demonstrations, but the scale of last weekend’s disorder continues to challenge French authorities.
According to Joy Online.
