France has calm first night under curfews after weekend of riots
France had a mostly calm night after curfews took effect in parts of Paris and other cities, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday. The curfews followed a weekend of riots and looting. Officials say more than 2,500 people have been arrested since the unrest began.
Targeted curfews helped bring a quiet night to France after a weekend of riots and looting, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday, the BBC reported.
Curfews covered parts of central Paris, including Place de la République, where protesters had gathered, and the Les Halles shopping area, the BBC reported. Limits on gatherings and on the movement of young people were also set in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Lille, among other cities. Lecornu thanked police and gendarmes and said regions and local mayors would decide "on the ground" whether more curfews are needed Tuesday night.
More than 2,500 people have been arrested since the disorder broke out, officials said, according to the BBC. About 1,000 police officers have been injured.
The weekend was France's worst violence in years, NBC News reported. In Limoges, the 19th-century town hall burned and its spire collapsed in flames. Lecornu said about 3,000 businesses were looted or vandalized. "Despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed and that is a miracle," he said, NBC reported.
On Tuesday, police arrested a 40-year-old man in the Haute-Vienne region in connection with the Limoges fire, and France's anti-terrorism police unit has taken up the case, Le Figaro reported, citing AFP (translated from French). Lecornu will meet political party leaders on Thursday to talk about policing, Le Figaro reported.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted police had "lost control" in some cities and offered to resign on Monday, but President Emmanuel Macron refused, the BBC reported. Macron has blamed "troublemakers from far-left fringe groups," NBC reported.
The protests began last month with students demanding better school conditions. They grew to take in rising living costs, with trade unions and other groups joining, the BBC and NBC reported.
What we know: The first curfew night was largely calm, and more than 2,500 people have been arrested.
What we don't: Whether curfews will be renewed Tuesday night and where.
Where outlets agree The BBC and NBC News both report that French authorities imposed curfews after weekend riots and that officials admitted losing control in some cities.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.