Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed regional authorities to implement “limited” curfews in several cities on Monday evening. According to Lecornu, who made the announcement after an emergency meeting, these measures will be localized and partial, aimed at protecting businesses following chaotic demonstrations that took place over the weekend. However, he explicitly ruled out a full curfew for the entirety of Paris.
During the crisis meeting, Lecornu strongly supported the police forces who were confronted by violent groups. He accused an “ultra-left movement” of attempting to incite unrest in the country to challenge the timeline for the 2027 presidential elections. Lecornu emphasized that despite the severe violence and considerable property damage on Saturday, no casualties were reported, calling this outcome a “miracle.”
The weekend unrest seen in multiple cities involved arsons and the destruction of shop windows; for instance, the historic town hall in Limoges burned down. In total, at least 2,400 people were detained as a result of the disturbances, although the judicial investigation into the events has only just commenced.
