The French government has imposed partial night curfews in several cities following violent protests that erupted over the weekend, leading officials to admit that police had “lost control” of some incidents. The unrest, sparked by demonstrations against rising living costs, escalated into widespread violence in multiple urban centers, including Paris, Marseille, Lille, and Lyon.

After an emergency cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that curfews would be implemented locally rather than across entire cities. The measures, effective from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., included restricted access and bans on gatherings in specific areas such as two locations in Paris, including Place de la République, where rioting occurred. Marseille independently banned all gatherings and demonstrations on Monday in an effort to quell further unrest.

The riots followed weeks of high school student protests marked by clashes with police, intensifying tensions ahead of a presidential election scheduled in six months. On Saturday, demonstrations saw participation from students, teachers, parents, unions, and workers, highlighting grievances over inflation and economic pressures. Authorities reported that peaceful protests were overtaken by violent elements, resulting in about 2,000 shops being looted or ransacked, public buildings, including a town hall, set on fire, and widespread property damage.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez acknowledged shortcomings in police preparedness, citing a “lack of anticipation” and insufficient security personnel to contain the larger-than-expected turnout, which surpassed 500,000 demonstrators nationally—more than double the anticipated figure. Nuñez offered his resignation, taking responsibility for the failures, but President Emmanuel Macron declined the offer, demanding a thorough review of intelligence and operational shortcomings.

Nuñez noted that 60,000 police and security forces had been deployed but admitted their efforts were still overwhelmed by organized rioters. He emphasized the role of violent groups, including “ultra-left militants,” in exacerbating the situation. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin underlined the impact of intelligence failures and revealed that over 2,500 arrests had been made, with about 80 percent of those detained being prosecuted. Authorities also reported nearly 1,000 police injuries, and around 67 suspects had been imprisoned since the unrest began.

Local officials voiced criticism of the state’s handling of the events. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire stated that maintaining order was the government's responsibility and pointed to societal unrest coupled with a lack of political solutions as reasons for the ongoing protests. Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan described the situation as “almost insurrectional” and criticized the government's response as insufficient and politically motivated.

In Paris, protesters blocked entrances to the Louvre Museum in support of the student movement and to protest what they described as police repression, forcing the museum to close temporarily. The demonstrations reflect broader discontent amid rising living costs, a concern echoed by protests in other European nations over the same weekend. French officials have also engaged with online platforms to curb the sale of stolen goods linked to the unrest, summoning representatives from major companies like Amazon, Vinted, and Meta to address the issue.