French Prime Minister Calls for Partial Curfews Amid Unrest, Blames Ultra-Left

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has requested prefects implement a number of partial curfews in specific urban areas to prevent further disorder.

He attributes the unrest to the extreme-left and criminal elements. Lecornu stated the government is prepared to declare a state of emergency if needed but is not currently considering it. He believes there is an agenda of chaos being pushed by the far-left to disrupt next year’s presidential election. The Prime Minister urged National Rally leaders to attend his briefing later today.

Lecornu announced a strong judicial response to crack down on violence and crime, with investigators reviewing social media footage. New measures to stop riots will be in place starting tonight. Furlough measures for businesses affected by riots will begin on Tuesday to ensure jobs are saved. It is estimated some 3,000 businesses have been damaged or looted.

An operation with around 200 investigators is beginning in Paris today to analyze footage of the devastation. The call for curfews follows a weekend of riots and looting, described as some of France's worst street violence in years. The unrest is linked to a student protest movement. Lecornu said curfews are a better solution to the crisis than a state of emergency.

He emphasized that the right to legitimate protest needs to be safeguarded and considered separately from the riots and clashes with police forces. The unrest comes months before France’s presidential election, raising concerns over public security and political stability.