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France Orders Curfews Amid Widespread Rioting

12 0
19.10.2026

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at government efforts to quell mass unrest in France, recent Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank, and Italy’s cost-of-living crisis.

Who’s to Blame for France’s Unrest?

France announced a partial ban on protests in Paris on Monday and ordered curfews in certain areas in an effort to reassert control amid one of the country’s most violent domestic crises in decades. “My determination to restore order is absolute,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said, vowing to use “whatever tools are at the government’s disposal” to quell the unrest.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at government efforts to quell mass unrest in France, recent Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank, and Italy’s cost-of-living crisis.

Who’s to Blame for France’s Unrest?

France announced a partial ban on protests in Paris on Monday and ordered curfews in certain areas in an effort to reassert control amid one of the country’s most violent domestic crises in decades. “My determination to restore order is absolute,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said, vowing to use “whatever tools are at the government’s disposal” to quell the unrest.

Large-scale demonstrations have rocked France for weeks as young people demand education reform, denounce high fuel costs and poor public services, and cast doubt on the effectiveness of a 2027 budget proposal. Rioting, looting, and arson have prompted police to use heavy-handed tactics, such as tear gas and water cannons, to disperse protesters.

The demonstrations reached new heights over the weekend, when an estimated half a million people took to the streets across France. According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 1,000 security personnel were injured, around 2,400 protesters were arrested, and at least 3,000 businesses were pillaged across the country.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered to step down on Monday after admitting that French police had been unprepared for the scale of the unrest. President Emmanuel Macron did not accept his resignation, but that didn’t stop Nuñez from sending a second letter of intent. “I am resubmitting my resignation because I am responsible........

© Foreign Policy