French Curfews Quell Riots After 2,500 Arrests as PM Reports Calm Night
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Oct 20
French Curfews Quell Riots After 2,500 Arrests as PM Reports Calm Night
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Oct 20
Summary
French cities saw a largely quiet night after targeted curfews and gathering limits were imposed in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, Lille and other towns, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.
Those restrictions followed a weekend of riots and looting, with Lecornu saying Tuesday-night curfews would be decided locally where needed and crediting police and gendarmes for enforcement.
More than 2,500 people have been arrested since the unrest began, about 1,000 police officers were injured, and AFP reported one demonstrator lost a hand to a police crowd-control grenade.
The calmer night came after Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police had "lost control" in some cities; he offered to resign on Monday, but President Emmanuel Macron rejected it.
The protests began last month over school conditions and have since widened into a broader anti-government movement backed by trade unions and other protest groups.