France plans curfews in several areas after weekend violence

Shafaq News- Paris

Around 50 students from the Louvre school blocked the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris on Monday morning in solidarity with high school students protesting the “police repression.”

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu asked regional prefects to impose curfews on Monday evening, describing the proposed measures as “partial” and “limited in scope.” The restrictions would focus particularly on protecting shops following unrest in several French cities over the weekend.

After a joint ministerial crisis meeting, Lecornu said details of the curfews, including the areas where they would apply, were expected to be announced Monday afternoon following consultations with the mayors concerned. He also left open the possibility of declaring a state of emergency “if necessary,” but said curfews appeared to be “a more appropriate option.”

Another round of protests is planned in France on Saturday, October 24, after the Yellow Vests movement announced demonstrations following rallies in several cities the previous weekend against the rising cost of living. Those protests were accompanied by violence and looting.

The Yellow Vests coordination group published a map on its website listing dozens of planned events across the country for the coming Saturday.

Benjamin Ball, who manages the website, told Agence France-Presse that there was “huge momentum” behind calls for a second round of demonstrations.