French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu says he has instructed prefects, the Government’s regional representatives, to impose “very limited” and “localised” curfews to prevent more rioting and looting, following weekend violence that targeted city halls, other public buildings and thousands of businesses across the country.
Speaking after an emergency meeting with top Government officials, Lecornu said “on Saturday, despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle” as he defended the work of police officers faced with violent groups of people.
The instructions come as Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered his resignation on Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron refused it “given the need for continued command of law enforcement in the current context,” Macron’s office said in a statement on Monday.
He instructed Nunez “to take all necessary steps to ensure full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence-gathering that led to the violence,” the statement said.
On Sunday evening, groups set fires to trash bins, bicycles and other objects in the streets and looted businesses in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities. That followed major violence during nationwide protests on Saturday against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. At least 2,400 people were arrested across the country. Authorities estimated Monday that at least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted in several cities in the weekend violence.