France promises ‘massive’ police presence this weekend as cities impose more curfews after protest violence
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By Jessie Yeung, CNN
(CNN) — French authorities promised a “massive” police presence for planned protests on Saturday and imposed localized curfews for a second consecutive night as the country grapples with the fallout from its worst rioting in years.
The moves come after protests over education and the cost of living spiraled into a wave of deadly, nationwide violence over the weekend that has sparked a political blame game at home and threatens to spill over into its European neighbors.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu credited the “targeted curfews” with helping maintain calm overnight into Tuesday. He admitted that intelligence services had failed to identify the severity of the situation and said previous 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, while cities including Bordeaux and Lille will also impose curfews.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told MPs at the National Assembly he deeply regretted the weekend violence and accepted some responsibility, while also pointing to the role of political opponents and those involved in the destruction.
“I accept my share of the responsibility, but I would not want us to forget the significant responsibility of a certain political camp that does not hesitate to add fuel to the fire, nor the responsibility of the troublemakers,” Nuñez said.
France’s main student union UNEF has called for further protests on Saturday and said they won’t give up until their demands are met. The CGT, one of France’s biggest trade unions, has said it will join, calling for peaceful protests.
Curfews were introduced after more than 2,000 people were arrested this past weekend, with at least two deaths and reports of serious injuries, including two people who lost their hands.
Police fired tear gas into crowds and fought running battles with black-clad, hooded rioters who set fires and broke into thousands of shops and government buildings, with images showing historic buildings ablaze.
The political fallout could prove significant, deepening faultlines between the major parties with an election to succeed French President Emanuel Macron just six months away.
The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, authorities and political leaders stress – but the level of fighting and destruction has shaken the nation and prompted forceful condemnations from leaders and the public alike.
“Those who destroyed must pay,” Macron said on Sunday evening. “Those who looted must pay back. Those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable.”
He also promised to hold meetings this week to discuss “concrete proposals” and to listen to protesters’ demands — but many of them remain skeptical.
How did this begin?
It started in September with a strike by students and teachers at a high school in the Parisian suburbs, who demanded more staff and resources. Their demands were met and the strike ended – but it lit a spark that soon caught nationwide.
Students around the country, long frustrated with an understaffed and overcrowded education system, launched protests that at times turned violent. A heavy-handed police response fueled public anger and pushed hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets, especially after videos of a police officer using a banned headlock on a girl.
Within a few weeks, the protests swelled to become a broader movement beyond students, capturing widespread discontent over affordability, perceived government inaction, a growing wealth divide, and a deep desire for social and political change.
“This can’t go on,” said 57-year-old Maria Pallas, a member of a major French trade union, speaking to CNN at Saturday’s protest in Paris. “There’s the cost of living. There’s unemployment. There’s a bunch of things. A young person will go looking for work, we’ll promise him a lot, and he’ll end up with nothing.”
What happened this weekend?
Over half a million people demonstrated across France on Saturday. For the most part, things were peaceful.
But in several locations the protests spilled into violence, especially as night fell. In Paris, groups of masked young people looted shops and started fires; in Lyon, protesters torched the city’s tourist office; in the central city of Limoges, the spire of a 143-year-old town hall collapsed in flames, reviving painful memories for some of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire. Around 3,000 shops were looted across the country, justice minister Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday. Small pockets of protests flared on Sunday too.
By the end of the weekend, Paris looked like a “war zone,” one visitor to the city told Reuters. Residents in Paris and other French cities were stunned, with some condemning the looters and rioters, and others placing blame with authorities who failed to address the crisis earlier.
“It’s heartbreaking, heartbreaking seeing our city like this,” said 59-year-old Marseille resident Farida, who did not give a last name, according to Reuters. “If every protest ends with all the shop windows smashed and stores trashed, this simply cannot go on — it cannot go on.”
One Paris resident, 56-year-old Paola Formenti, voiced support for the protesters’ “legitimate” anger, even as she condemned the violence.
What comes next and will it spread?
The protests and fallout could shape France’s upcoming election next spring. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is leading in the polls, claimed this weekend that “legitimate social grievances have, yet again, been held hostage by the far left.” Her hard-left rival, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has repeatedly defended the students’ right to protest.
Demonstrations took place elsewhere in Europe last weekend, too.
In Belgium, students demonstrated against the state of their education system. In Portugal, tens of thousands of people marched in Lisbon on Saturday to protest rising costs of living and the country’s housing crisis.
In Italy, Milan also saw two consecutive nights of unrest this weekend that led to about €1 million in damages, according to officials. Protesters threw stones and looted supermarkets, while police responded with tear gas, and water cannons, and arrested 32 people.
Shops only reopened on Tuesday as the government announced a series of measures to deal with the violent protests.
Among them is a new, punishable criminal offense: “violent participation in a demonstration.” Offenders can face up to five years in prison and up to a €20,000 fine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said if the protester’s face is covered or if they injure someone, or if a group of protesters vandalize property, the penalty increases.
Protesters or the parents of protesters who are minors will now have to pay for any damages they are responsible for, as part of the new measures.
And minors can now be subject to preventative detention, a measure previously reserved for adults. The prime minister said that an 11-year-old was among the youngest protesters identified in Milan.
Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said those who use social media to organize violent protests could face up to 12 years in prison.
Meloni also said 500 additional military personnel will be deployed to Milan through the end of the year to support law enforcement officials. Additional spaces in juvenile detention centers will be opened to accommodate even more young detainees.
Meanwhile in Albania, students have been taking to the streets for months, protesting perceived government corruption. Demonstrations in the capital Tirana turned violent this weekend, with one person photographed throwing a Molotov cocktail at riot police.
Authorities in many of these countries have condemned the violence and called for calm. The protests have caught the attention of the White House, with Vice President JD Vance posting a video of the burning Limoges town hall on X and blaming the unrest on failed immigration policy.
US President Donald Trump also mentioned the protests during a rally in Georgia this weekend, joking: “Let’s go to France and join the revolution and spend our $5,000 there,” referring to the dividend promised if the Republicans win the midterm elections.
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CNN’s Pierre Bairin, Max Saltman, Joseph Ataman, Niamh Kennedy, Lisa Courbebaisse, Lucie Lepellec, Catherine Nicholls, Sana Noor Haq, James Legge, Sharon Braithwaite, Stefano Pozzebon Issy Ronald, Melissa Bell, Sarah Hutter, Hira Humayun, and Antonia Mortensen contributed to this report.
