Paris, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called for targeted curfews in areas hit by looting during weekend protests, warning that the government would not allow violence and property damage to continue.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Lecornu said he had instructed regional prefects to introduce partial curfews from Monday evening in areas where disorder had occurred. He described the violence as concentrated in specific urban centres and said a state of emergency could be declared if required, although he considered targeted curfews a more appropriate response at this stage.
“There is no question of allowing the looting to become established,” Lecornu said, adding that the Interior Ministry would publish a detailed map of the affected areas.
The government also plans to activate partial unemployment measures from Tuesday for shopkeepers whose businesses were damaged or looted. Public financial assistance would be made available to affected businesses, Lecornu said, stressing that restoring public order was essential.
French Trade Minister Serge Papin estimated that at least 3,000 businesses had been affected during the protests.
According to figures released by the Interior Ministry, around 550,000 people participated in demonstrations across France on Saturday. The protests resulted in 2,397 arrests, while 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, including seven seriously.
In Marseille, authorities in the southern Bouches-du-Rhone department banned all gatherings and demonstrations from noon to 8 p.m. local time on Monday.
President Emmanuel Macron has also vowed legal action against those responsible for violence during the protests.
The demonstrations came amid public anger over rising living costs, housing shortages and pressure on public services, with large crowds taking to the streets in major European cities over the weekend.
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