In France, following a weekend of protests marked by violence, the country’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that he had requested the introduction of a "partial and localized" curfew. UNN reports this, citing BFM TV.
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Following an interministerial crisis meeting, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Monday, October 19, that he had asked prefects to "introduce a series of curfews" after the violence and destruction that occurred this weekend during the demonstrations.
"They will be partial; they may be very localized," he explained.
"I asked the prefects to introduce a series of curfews this evening" in order to "protect property and businesses," Sébastien Lecornu said after the interministerial meeting.
"We are dealing with a very specific type of large-scale looting. We cannot allow this to continue for so long," he said.
"The French people watching on television say: ‘There is chaos everywhere,’ but fortunately, no. We do have chaos, frankly—sorry for the expression—but it is very localized in city centers," Sébastien Lecornu assured.
"This curfew will be localized and partial. There is absolutely no question of imposing a curfew throughout Paris. That makes no sense," Sébastien Lecornu asserted, noting that he was focusing on "specific areas."
"Social partners have the right to demonstrate; the issue is finding the right balance between restoring public order—which is my absolute priority—and not infringing on freedoms," he continued.
During his remarks, Sébastien Lecornu reiterated that his "determination to restore order" was "complete." "If necessary," the government would also be ready to declare a state of emergency, he said, although for now a curfew "seems more appropriate for the situation."
To enable businesses to "restart very quickly," Sébastien Lecornu announced that partial unemployment assistance would be introduced "as early as tomorrow" for those most affected by damage and looting. "This is a measure to protect employment. In this situation, there is no question of further social unrest after the destruction we have already experienced," he added.
A special support fund will also be allocated for all affected businesses, in addition to the ongoing negotiations with insurance companies regarding the "accelerated assessment."
According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, police made 351 arrests in the French capital on Sunday. The government announced that "at least 3,000 businesses" across the country were affected by damage or looting over the weekend.
Protesters blocked the Louvre amid mass demonstrations in France19.10.26, 13:47