France imposes curfews in major cities after weekend of rioting

The French government ordered curfews Monday night for areas and major cities that were impacted by rioting over the weekend, including parts of Paris, Nice and Lille. 

What began as a nominal protest against worsening conditions in schools last month has escalated into a general riot against the French government and a rising cost of living, resulting in the arrest of at least 2,400 people over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.

The riots come as conservatives warn the promotion of the protests were funded by left-wing donor Neville Roy Singham, whose groups were crucial to the wave of anti-Israel demonstrations in the United States after Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

A recent Fox News investigation identified 54 organizations participating in or promoting the riots, but only 16 were student or youth groups. The other 38 consisted of adult-led communist groups, labor unions, political parties, revolutionary-left organizations, advocacy groups and international propaganda outlets.

Paris police have ordered a curfew from 11 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday in two areas of the city that were impacted by the rioting and restricted public gatherings starting at 8 p.m. Monday in more than a dozen areas of the city, including train stations and near government buildings like the presidential palace. 

Small cities in the north of France have imposed curfews on minors that will stretch from 8 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, including cities like Lille and Denain, according to the New York Times.

Nice has also ordered a curfew for minors that will begin at 9 p.m. local time, according to the city's Mayor Eric Ciotti.

The curfews come as the French government faces heat for being unprepared to deal with the widespread violence and looting that occurred over the weekend. 

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said he has tendered his resignation over the protests, admitting that the police had not been ready for the scale of the riots, but that French President Emmanuel Macron has not accepted it so far.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu praised local police in his own statement after an emergency meeting of the country's ministers on Monday, claiming the police had done a good job of fighting against a “shadowy network” of far-left instigators who were trying to create “a profound disorder in the country leading up to the presidential election.”

“While we witnessed very difficult scenes involving violence against property, no one was killed, and that is a miracle,” Lecornu said.

France's next presidential election will take place in April 2027. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.