France plans further local curfews after unrest
Police said there were no major incidents overnight after restrictions took effect in several cities, including Paris, Bordeaux and Nice.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said further curfews would be imposed where necessary on 20 October 2026, following urban unrest. Local prefects would decide on the restrictions in consultation with mayors, he said.
Writing on X, Lecornu credited targeted curfews with helping to restore calm overnight. Police confirmed that no major incidents had occurred across the country during the night. The government, facing criticism over its handling of the violence, has pledged to restore order.
Paris, Bordeaux and Nice were among the cities that introduced partial curfews the previous day. The initial Paris restrictions covered a single night, while those in Bordeaux and Nice were due to last several days. The unrest followed weeks of student protests about poor conditions in high schools.
In Lyon, organisers said about 500 people gathered despite a demonstration ban to support shopkeepers affected by looting. They assembled outside a tourism office that had been set alight.
The government scheduled further emergency meetings for 20 October, including discussions with representatives of major social media platforms. Finance Minister Roland Lescure promised support for shopkeepers and craftspeople. Patrick Martin, who heads the Medef business lobby, accused the state of failure and said preliminary estimates indicated that at least 3,000 businesses had been affected.
