France: New curfew decisions will be issued “if necessary”

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French Prime Minister Sebastien Le Cornu announced that France will impose a new curfew today, Tuesday, in areas where the situation requires it, after a first night in which a partial curfew was implemented in major cities, including the capital, Paris.

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Yesterday, Monday, the French authorities imposed a curfew in parts of several cities, including Paris, Lille and Nice, in light of the pressure they face due to security failures following the riots and looting that broke out over the weekend against the backdrop of anti-government protests.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out imposing a comprehensive curfew in Paris, but he did not rule out declaring a state of emergency, and said that it is more appropriate at the present time to implement a partial curfew in certain areas.

"My determination to restore order is absolute," he said in a press conference.

Paris police said that they had issued orders banning demonstrations in certain areas of the French capital, starting at eight o'clock in the evening (1800 GMT), and also imposed a curfew around Place de la République and the Les Halles area starting at 11 p.m., with both measures remaining in effect until six o'clock in the morning tomorrow, Tuesday.

“Police forces have been deployed to ensure strict adherence to these measures,” the police added in a statement.

A source in Le Corno's office reported that a curfew would be imposed for minors between eight in the evening and six in the morning during the next two days in Lille, Douai, Wateny and Dinan, with the approval of the mayors.

In Nice, Mayor Eric Ciotti said in a video clip posted online that he had signed an order imposing a curfew on minors in central Nice overnight, and Marseille also banned gatherings and demonstrations.

Meanwhile, French unions called for a new round of strikes and marches on November 5.

The weekend's looting and violence between some demonstrators and police came on the heels of weeks of student demonstrations, which shook France six months before the next presidential election, and highlighted the pressures resulting from a weak economy and mounting debt.