France Imposes Curfew and Boosts Police Presence Amid Widespread Riots

Following widespread riots and looting that swept across France over the weekend of October 17–18, the government has decided to introduce strict measures.

Franceinfo and RTL reported this, citing remarks by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, an interview with Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, statements by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, and announcements from several departments’ prefectures.

To curb the wave of destruction, authorities introduced the first partial, localized curfews during the night of October 18–19.

These movement restrictions apply to specific areas in several major cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Nice, and Lyon, as well as the Nord department.

According to the prefecture of Haute-Vienne, the situation on the ground remains extremely tense after numerous government buildings were targeted by attackers. Among the most serious incidents of destruction were the prefecture building in Limoges and a major fire that destroyed the roof and tower of the city hall.

After a meeting of the interministerial crisis task force, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a new public-order policing doctrine. The government developed the measure to neutralize rioters and restore law and order nationwide.

Speaking during a visit to Marseille, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said law enforcement agencies were already preparing for a new day of protests scheduled for October 24.

The official pledged to deploy a “significantly larger” security force in the city and confirmed that he had submitted his resignation, which Emmanuel Macron rejected.

According to statistics released by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, 2,513 people are currently in custody. The minister also clarified that 67 people have already been sent to prison, including 34 within the jurisdiction of the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal alone.

The head of the Justice Ministry instructed prosecutors to classify the detainees’ actions as “organized crime.” This measure allows the period of police custody to be extended to up to 72 hours.

The wave of violence was triggered by large-scale socio-political protests. The demonstrations on October 17, initially called in opposition to the government’s economic policies and the population’s declining purchasing power, quickly brought together tens of thousands of protesters.

According to law enforcement officials, groups of radicals and rioters joined peaceful marches on Saturday, October 17. The situation quickly escalated into direct clashes with the police.