French authorities promised a massive police presence for planned protests on Saturday and imposed localized curfews for a second consecutive night after the worst rioting in years.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the targeted curfews helped keep conditions calm overnight into Tuesday. He said intelligence services had failed to identify how severe the situation was and that earlier security arrangements had been too static.
Paris police announced an overnight curfew from 11 p.m. Tuesday in the worst-hit areas around the Place de la République and Les Halles. Bordeaux and Lille will also impose curfews. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told the National Assembly that he regretted the weekend violence and accepted a share of responsibility, while also blaming political opponents and those involved in the destruction.
More than 2,000 people were arrested over the weekend. At least two people died, and reports described serious injuries, including two people who lost their hands. Police fired tear gas and fought running battles with hooded rioters who set fires and broke into thousands of shops and government buildings.
More than half a million people demonstrated across France on Saturday, and authorities said the vast majority of protesters were peaceful. In Paris, masked groups looted shops and started fires. In Lyon, the city’s tourist office was torched. In Limoges, the spire of a 143-year-old town hall collapsed in flames. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said about 3,000 shops were looted nationwide. Smaller protests also flared on Sunday.
President Macron said those who destroyed property must pay, those who looted must pay it back, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable. He also promised meetings this week on concrete proposals and said he would listen to protesters’ demands.
The student union UNEF has called for further protests on Saturday and said it will continue until its demands are met. The CGT trade union said it will join and called for the protests to remain peaceful.