France PM promises more curfews as authorities seek to regain control

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu says local authorities will coordinate with mayors to decide whether to impose curfews.

A fire burns as police officers in riot gear stand guard after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026 [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said new curfews will be imposed where necessary in parts of the country, as authorities sought to restore order after weekend demonstrations over the cost of living and issues in the education system descended into riots.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Lecornu said local authorities would coordinate with mayors to decide whether to impose curfews in their respective prefectures.

list 1 of 3 ‘Anger and shame’: Macron denounces France’s nationwide rioting, looting

list 2 of 3 French protest violence: A ‘Christmas present’ for Le Pen’s far right?

list 3 of 3 French protests: Is it game over for Macron’s centrists before elections?

More than half a million people gathered across France on Saturday for demonstrations that brought together students demanding better education conditions and groups rejecting the high cost of living. The protests descended into looting and arson in numerous locations, with more than 2,500 people arrested.

Monday night passed without any major incidents across France, police have confirmed.

The government is due to hold a series of meetings as it intensifies efforts to contain the unrest, which followed weeks of student protests over education standards.

French Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff is due to meet social media bosses on Tuesday to discuss the protests. In a post on X on Monday, Henanff said goods looted over the weekend were being sold online and called on platforms to remove such listings.

Demonstrators have called for further protests this Saturday, but France’s main trade unions have not backed the call, with union officials due to meet Lecornu on Wednesday. On Thursday, Lecornu will hold talks with political parties about the protests, which come before presidential elections due to take place in April and May next year.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally, currently leads the polls. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads La France Insoumise, is currently in second place. President Emmanuel Macron cannot stand because of France’s two-term limit.

Le Pen and Melenchon have both been accused of exploiting the protests before next year’s vote.

Alice Cohen-Morzadec, a spokesperson for the French Student Union, told Al Jazeera that the demonstrations were an “outburst” of anger in response to Macron’s policies, which she said had “destroyed” students’ living conditions.

“One student out of two cannot eat properly. One student out of three doesn’t have a permanent house to live in. We cannot study in these conditions,” Cohen-Morzadec said.

总理塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努表示，地方当局将与市长们协调，决定是否实施宵禁。

2026年10月18日，法国巴黎，在全国范围内爆发抗议生活成本上涨和燃油价格上涨的示威活动后，一处火场燃起大火，身穿防暴装备的警察在一旁警戒。[Abdul Saboor/路透社]

法国总理塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努表示，在周末因生活成本和教育系统问题引发的示威活动演变为骚乱后，当局将根据需要在该国部分地区实施新的宵禁，以恢复秩序。

莱科尔努周二在 X 网站上发帖称，地方当局将与市长协调，决定是否在其各自的辖区内实施宵禁。

列表 1/3 “愤怒与耻辱”：马克龙谴责法国全国范围内的骚乱和抢劫

法国抗议暴力事件清单之二（共三项）：这是送给勒庞极右翼的“圣诞礼物”吗？

法国抗议活动之三：马克龙的中间派在选举前是否已经败局已定？

周六，超过50万人聚集在法国各地举行示威游行，其中既有要求改善教育条件的学生，也有抗议高昂生活成本的团体。多地发生骚乱，演变为抢劫和纵火事件，超过2500人被捕。

警方证实，周一晚间法国各地未发生任何重大事件。

政府将召开一系列会议，加大力度遏制骚乱。此前，学生们已就教育标准举行了数周的抗议活动。

法国数字部长安妮·勒·埃南夫将于周二与社交媒体高管会面，讨论抗议活动。勒·埃南夫周一在X网站上发帖称，周末被抢劫的物品正在网上出售，她呼吁各平台删除此类商品信息。

示威者呼吁本周六举行更多抗议活动，但法国主要工会并未支持这一呼吁，工会官员将于周三与勒科尔努会面。周四，勒科尔努将与各政党就抗议活动举行会谈，此次抗议活动正值明年四月和五月即将举行的总统选举前夕。

极右翼政党国民联盟领导人玛丽娜·勒庞目前在民调中领先。极左翼政党“不屈法国”领导人让-吕克·梅朗雄目前位居第二。由于法国总统任期限制为两届，现任总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙无法参选。

勒庞和梅朗雄都被指控利用明年大选前的抗议活动。

法国学生会发言人爱丽丝·科恩-莫扎德克告诉半岛电视台，这些示威活动是对马克龙政策的“愤怒爆发”，她说这些政策“摧毁”了学生的生活条件。

“每两个学生中就有一个吃不饱饭。每三个学生中就有一个没有固定的住所。在这样的条件下，我们根本无法学习，”科恩-莫扎德克说道。