A new set of curfews is set to be imposed in France tonight, prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has said, saying the measures last night contributed to “calm” across the country.
“Targeted curfews have contributed to the calm of this night,” Mr Lecornu said, adding that new curfews would be decided “on the ground, by the prefects, in coordination with the mayors”.
Last night, the French government imposed partial curfews across the country, including in Paris and Nice, after riots and looting amid nationwide protests over the weekend.
It came after thousands of rioters were arrested during the weekend’s widespread protests, with justice minister Gérald Darmanin promising an “unrelenting” response to violence.
Riots also spread across Europe, with similar incidents in Belgium, Albania and Italy.
The Italian government is set to dispatch 500 army troops to “defend Milan” after demonstrators clashed with police, deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday.
Hundreds of hooded protesters set fire to bins, looted shops and vandalised buildings, over the weekend, following an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday over the cost of living.
The European cities facing protests from Paris to Milan as continent gripped by cost of living crisis
Violent protests have broken out across Europe amid growing frustration over the cost of living crisis, a lack of affordable housing, and deteriorating school conditions.
As many as 550,000 people turned out across France on Saturday, according to authorities, to demonstrate against declining public services. Protests turned violent in Paris as shops were looted and cars set on fire in some of the city’s worst violence in years.
Young people waved Italian flags and let off flares in Milan as they rallied against the rising cost of living in scenes that were condemned by prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
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Could we see France’s chaotic protests spread to the UK?
Protesters call for fresh demonstrations across France on Saturday
France’s Yellow Vest movement has called for a fresh round of demonstrations on Saturday, after protests over the cost of living descended into violence and looting in several cities over the weekend.
The organisers have dubbed the next mobilisation “Act II” and published a map showing dozens of actions planned across the country. They have also called for demonstrations on 31 October, ahead of a nationwide day of strikes and protests planned by trade unions for 5 November.
Benjamin Ball, editor of the website 17octobregiletjaune.net, which has helped coordinate the protests, told AFP there had been “an enormous push” for another round of demonstrations.
“We’re maintaining momentum for 5 November, but we’ll build step by step,” he said.
The 5 November call is backed by five major unions and is expected to focus on wages, jobs, public services, and industry.
Prices have risen 23% since Macron took office, data shows
Prices in France have risen by 23.4 per cent since Emmanuel Macron became president in 2017, while median salaries have grown by 22.8 per cent, according to an analysis by Le Monde.
The rising cost of living has fuelled public anger, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets over the weekend to demand change. The demonstrations, which began amid anger over school conditions, also reflected wider frustration over living costs and public services.
Oil and gas prices have climbed since the conflict in the Middle East began, pushing inflation up again, according to France’s national statistics office INSEE. Heatwaves and drought have also made fresh food more expensive, while grocery bills could rise further as farmers pass on higher costs to consumers.
Lower-income households have cut back on food spending, buying less, or switching to cheaper products. Inequality is also growing, with the wealthiest 20 per cent of households accounting for 38.8 per cent of the country’s total standard of living.
Trump blames France riots on immigration, claims Paris will soon be a ‘Muslim city’
Donald Trump has blamed the unrest in France on immigration, claiming Paris will soon become a “Muslim city” and urged president Emmanuel Macron to close the country’s borders.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Monday, Trump said he had warned Macron about his immigration policies when they first met, around eight or nine years ago.
“He’s a friend of mine. I told him a long time ago, you’re making a big mistake in France. You’re letting everybody from the world come in,” Trump said. “The whole world was coming in. And as you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon, and that wasn’t the deal.”
Trump dismissed the suggestion that the unrest was driven by domestic grievances, saying: “What’s happening in France has to do with immigration, not schools, not anything.”
Earlier on Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that migrants had “taken over France” and they should “close the borders, fast”.
France may impose fresh curfews tonight after calmer night, says PM
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu said targeted curfews in parts of Paris and other cities helped maintain “the calm of this night” after protests that descended into rioting and looting.
“I thank the police officers and gendarmes who ensured their enforcement, as well as the prefects for their mobilisation. Tonight, new curfews will be decided where the situation requires it. These decisions will be made on the ground, by the prefects, in coordination with the mayors,” he wrote in a post on X.
The curfews were introduced on Monday after violent groups targeted shops and public buildings across France over the weekend. In Paris, restrictions covered areas around Place de la République and Les Halles, while several northern cities imposed overnight curfews for minors.
Limoges mayor says city has lost 'architectural gem' after town hall set ablaze during France protests
France tells Vinted and eBay to remove listings of goods stolen during riots
France has called on online marketplaces including Vinted and eBay to remove listings for items suspected of being stolen during the weekend’s looting.
“Stolen goods from this weekend are being offered for sale on certain platforms. Such behaviors will not go unpunished. We will not let them slide,” digital affairs minister Anne Le Hénanff wrote on X. “We expect these platforms to remove the listings in question without delay,” she added, writing that the platforms are expected to work with authorities to identify sellers of potentially stolen goods.
Small businesses minister Serge Papin said the government was working on coordination between investigators and online platforms to identify people behind suspicious listings. A specific protocol is expected to be introduced, according to a government source who spoke to Politico.
Vinted said they have a “zero-tolerance policy” on the sale of stolen goods and that it had taken “immediate action to identify and remove listings that may involve stolen goods”.
Trump holds up France riots as warning to US voters ahead of midterms
US president Donald Trump has pointed to the riots in France to warn Americans of what he says could happen if Democrats win the midterm elections next month.
“We're not going to let that happen to this country,” Trump said at a rally on Monday, before adding: “When you see burning steeples and raging fires in France, just remember that is what the radical Dumocrats want to do to America.”
The rally was in support of Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who is facing a close contest against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.
France is on fire. Will it spread to the UK?
The massive explosion of anger and unrest in France has spread like wildfire across Europe – and Britain has no special reason to think it will not be next, says Sean O’Grady
