Riots: curfews imposed in several cities across France

A series of curfews have been put in place in French towns and cities in response to widespread violence, looting and riots that followed largely peaceful protests across France on October 17.

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu instructed prefects to consider imposing "partial and localised curfews" in some city centres.

The first curfews were announced on Monday night (October 19).

In Paris, a curfew was imposed from 23:00-6:00 around Les Halles - a zone that is repeatedly targeted during riots - and place de la République - a common symbolic protest location.

A ban was also placed on gatherings in some areas including the city's Hôtel de Ville, the palais de Justice, and zones surrounding major train stations, from 20:00-6:00.

Mr Lecornu said in a social media post on Tuesday that 

“New curfews will be imposed where the situation requires it” said Mr Lecornu on X.

Curfews around France

A curfew came into place on October 19 from 20:00-6:00 in Lille, alongside further curfews in three other communes in the Nord department: Douai, Denain and Wattignies.

In Nice, a curfew was introduced on October 19 from 21:00-6:00, applying only to minors in the city centre, Vieux-Nice, and from rue Trachel to the gare du Sud. The curfew will last until October 25. 

In Lyon, demonstrations and other gatherings on public roads were banned on October 19 from 18:00-21:00, and a curfew was put in place between 21:00-6:00 in the city centre.

A curfew from 22:00-7:00 on unaccompanied minors in certain streets in Bordeaux city centre comes into force today (October 20) and will last until the morning of October 26.

Marseille will be subject to a curfew from October 20-23. It will run from 22:00-5:00 in certain zones, particularly those near shopping centres, and only concerns minors. Other towns around Marseille may be subject to similar measures.

Further towns and cities have also announced curfew measures, or are in the process of doing so - including in Limoges (Haute-Vienne) and Coulaines (Sarthe).

Crisis meeting

The possibility of introducing curfews came in an announcement following a national crisis meeting on Monday.

“The implementation of curfews seems to me to be best suited to the situation we face,” said Mr Lecornu at a press briefing.

Mr Lecornu went on to describe the riots as being “geographically very varied”, with city centres the most commonly affected. 

Mr Lecornu said that restoring public order “is an absolute priority, because it is out of the question to allow this constant chaos to take hold,” and spoke of striking a “balance” to “ensure that civil liberties are not violated.”

Faced with “organised disorder”, he also promised “a large-scale criminal response”. 

“We are seeing a number of arrests leading to police custody. These are now being processed, with a high rate of criminal prosecution - standing at almost 80%,” said Mr Lecornu. 

Mr Lecornu highlighted that two-thirds of those involved in the riots were adults, and almost all were men. 

Nearly 200 investigators from the Paris police prefecture alone will be analysing images and video footage from the riots to identify those who were not wearing masks to hide their identity. 

Rallies banned in Marseille

During a televised speech on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that prefects would “take the necessary decisions” to protect towns and cities, going as far as to ban certain gatherings if necessary.

In Marseille, gatherings and demonstrations were banned from 12:00-20:00 on October 19, announced the Bouches-du-Rhône police prefect on X.

City bikes and scooters have also been removed from public spaces in the city centre until further notice, “in order to minimise the risk of damage or fire.”

“The situation in Marseille city centre is extremely serious. Last night’s violence was appalling, and its consequences are absolutely devastating for residents and shopkeepers,” the city’s mayor Benoît Payan wrote on X.

Reports suggest some 30,000 looters targeted Marseille’s city centre on Saturday night, with police forces making 101 arrests, comprising 74 adults and 27 minors.