Some French cities have been given the power to implement partial curfews to protect people and shops, says PM Sébastien Lecornu.
It comes after a weekend of riots and looting, with Lecornu saying “we will not be dictated and ruled by the breakers, by the thieves, by the thugs”
Earlier, France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police had “lost control” – the head of France’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry says 2,000 businesses were directly impacted by the demonstrations
Nuñez – whose offer to resign was rejected by French President Emmanuel Macron – said there was a “lack of anticipation” from officers
The disorder began last month with students protesting over school conditions, but have since escalated to take in a broader range of concerns
Lecornu says the movement is being led by “ultra-left radical groups” hoping to “create chaos” before the 2027 French presidential elections
More than half a million people took to the streets on Saturday. On Sunday, more than 350 arrests were made in Paris alone, with at least five shops looted
