Curfews came into effect in cities across France, including Paris, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon, as French police attempted to crack down on looting during protests. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said that implementing a state of emergency is not out of the question. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Trump exploits France riots to warn US voters over immigration
US President Donald Trump used the protests roiling France to score some quick political points Monday, as the upcoming midterm elections force his Republican party to face strong headwinds.
At a rally in Kansas, the US president launched into a lengthy tirade about France, which he said was being “conquered, looted, and burnt to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists.”
“And we’re not going to let that happen to this country,” he added.
While speaking with reporters previously in the day, Trump recalled an exchange with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron: “I told him a long time ago, you’re making a big mistake in France. You’re letting everybody from the world come in…Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon.”
Earlier Monday, the 80-year-old president wrote on his Truth Social platform: “The migrants have taken over France. They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!”
Paris imposes overnight curfew after France’s worst rioting in years
Paris police issued an overnight curfew on Monday in two areas of the French capital, after a weekend marred by France’s worst rioting in years that targeted city halls, other public buildings and thousands of businesses across the country.
The order aims to protect “people and property from the violence and looting,” the Paris police statement said.
The curfew prohibits anyone from entering or remaining on the Place de la République, where rioting took place Saturday, and the shopping neighbourhood of Les Halles, which has been subject to looting.
The curfew will be in effect from 11 pm Monday until 6 am Tuesday. In addition, gatherings and demonstrations are banned from 8 pm, the Paris police said.
Earlier Monday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had called for “very limited” and “localised” curfews.
In northern France, local authorities imposed a curfew for children and teenagers under age 18 in several cities, including Lille, starting from Monday and for the next two days from 8 pm to 6 am. Nice, on the French Riviera, also imposed an overnight curfew for minors from 9 pm.
Lecornu defended police handling of the unrest, saying that “despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle.”
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering protests in France. You can catch up on yesterday’s key developments here.
• Mass protests against the rising cost of living and in support of high school students’ demands over education funding erupted in violent clashes, in which law enforcement officers and protesters were wounded, public buildings were set ablaze and businesses were looted.
• French authorities issued a curfew for Place de la Republique and the streets around Les Halles in central Paris to take effect Monday night from 11pm until 6am on Tuesday.
• Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted that police had “lost control” of the protests in several cities over the weekend, while the Yellow Vest movement called for a new round of protests on Saturday.
