French authorities imposed curfews in parts of several cities, including Paris, Lille and Nice, on Monday following a weekend of violent protests, looting and clashes. The government faced growing pressure to improve security as protests over rising living costs and poor public services led to some of the worst street violence in France in recent years.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out a curfew across all of Paris but did declare 'a state of emergency'. He said local curfews in affected areas were a better option for now.
Ahead of another round of protests planned for next Saturday, Lecornu's office said curfews would be in place from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am (1800-0400 GMT) on Monday and Tuesday in four northern cities, including Lille, to protect businesses.
"I'm absolutely determined to restore public order", he said.
In Paris, authorities announced a partial ban on protests from 21:00 GMT on Monday.
Other European countries have also seen protests over rising prices. Small clashes broke out in Milan and Belgium over the weekend, while protests continued in Spain and Portugal.
Nearly half a million people took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest against the rising cost of living. The demonstrations came after four weeks of protests that began with students demanding better conditions in high schools.
The protests have since grown into a wider movement, with trade unions, activists and ordinary citizens joining in. People are angry about rising prices, the cost of living and falling standards in public services, including education. The protests are taking place ahead of France's next presidential election.
The French prime minister blamed far-left groups for some of the country's worst unrest in years. "There is, after all, a far-left movement that wants to cause - we can’t put it any more strongly - profound unrest in the country in the run-up to the presidential election," he said.
Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 shops were affected during the weekend's unrest. Many businesses faced looting and damage. Several shops, hotels and luxury stores remained closed or had security guards outside on Monday.
You may also like to watch
The entrance to a Dior store was smashed, while windows at other luxury stores in central Paris, including Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Gucci, were damaged.
The government ordered online platforms selling looted goods to remove the listings and work with authorities to help prosecute those selling stolen items, Junior Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff wrote on X.
More than 2,400 people were arrested during the unrest, according to the Interior Ministry. One protester died of cardiac arrest on Saturday, while nearly 1,000 police officers were injured.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "unbridled" violence.
In Marseille, a port city in southern France, authorities banned public gatherings from noon to 8:00 pm (1000-1800 GMT). The European Union condemned the violence as "unacceptable" but said the right to peaceful protest "must be protected" in France.