🔴 France issues curfew for parts of central Paris

⁠French ​authorities issued a curfew for Place de la ​Republique ‌and ⁠the ‌streets around Les Halles in central ⁠Paris from 11pm local time Monday night until 6am on Tuesday, ​​following riots that ​took ​place over the ​weekend.

Shared-mobility operator Dott said in a statement to Reuters on Monday ⁠that about 300 of its electric bikes were destroyed and 120 severely damaged in Paris during the nationwide protests on Saturday, which turned violent ​in several cities. It has 6,000 bikes in the city. The company ‌also said 80 vehicles, including bikes and scooters, were destroyed in Bordeaux and 30 to 40 scooters in Lyon.

It estimated the damage at around €400,000 ($450,000). Lime said some of its shared bicycles ‌and scooters in Paris were destroyed or damaged during the protests, with the company losing about 6 percent of its Paris ​fleet.

Several governments have warned their citizens travelling to France to take precautionary measures to avoid being caught up in violent demonstrations. Here are some of the advisories issued by countries. ItalyItaly said its citizens should register their ‌presence in France on a website or an app to enable them to ⁠be located, as it warned them to avoid large crowds and exercise extreme caution.

GermanyThe German foreign ministry said further riots in the comingdays couldn't be ruled ​out and urged German nationals to followinstructions from local police. It ‌warned citizens that theycould face fines or claims for damages if they failed to leaveunauthorised demonstrations when asked to do so.

Czech RepublicCzechs in France are advised to avoid demonstrations,marches and ‌public gatherings, CTK news agency reported. Thesecurity situation in France has deteriorated, according to theCzech foreign affairs ministry.

PolandPoland said in ​its country guidance that visitors shouldavoid places where demonstrations are taking place, though therewas no change to its overall guidance about whether France wassafe to visit. NetherlandsThe Dutch government ​in an advisory last updated on October7 warned travelers to France to avoid ​protests.

Nordic nationsDenmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway have issued advisoriesurging their citizens ​in France to avoid demonstrations andfollow the guidance of local authorities.

ChinaChina's Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions in Francehave urged Chinese ​nationals planning to travel to the countryto remain alert to potential risks, strengthen safetyprecautions, and avoid areas where demonstrations are takingplace, according to state media.

MalaysiaMalaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is monitoringthe demonstrations and that while travel to France remainsunrestricted, Malaysians are ⁠advised to consider postponingnon-essential trips until the situation improves. It said its embassy in Paris has issued an ⁠advisory urgingMalaysians in ​France to exercise caution and remain vigilant.

France's digital minister on Monday urged online resale platforms to remove listings for "stolen items" following Saturday's looting and summoned representatives of companies including Vinted and eBay for talks. More than 3,000 businesses suffered damage, according to the authorities.

Since Sunday, screenshots have circulated on social media showing online resale listings for items allegedly stolen during the weekend unrest." Stolen items from this weekend are being offered for sale on certain platforms," digital minister Anne Le Henanff said on X." We expect these platforms to remove the listings in question without delay," she said.

She convened representatives of six platforms for a meeting in the presence of interior and justice ministry officials." They will also be required to cooperate closely with state authorities so that those reselling stolen goods can be prosecuted," Le Henanff added.

According to the French commerce ministry, representatives of Vinted, Amazon, eBay, Leboncoin, Meta and TikTok as well as French online retail association Fevad were invited for talks.

French authorities issued the country’s first curfew to run for two days starting Monday in the northern city of Lille and surrounding cities of Douai, Wattignies and Denain, the prime minister’s office said.

At least 2,400 people were arrested in France during protests over the weekend, some simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, others on suspicion of theft and looting. In an official address, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that “those who looted will have to pay for the damage”. But who exactly are these rioters?

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Andrew Smith, Lecturer in Liberal Arts at Queen Mary University of London. France's escalating social unrest has exposed a troubling disconnect between legitimate popular grievances and the government's increasingly security-focused response.

Smith argues that the violence accompanying otherwise largely peaceful demonstrations reveals serious failures of policing, while President Emmanuel Macron's response offers "very little of substance". Drawing parallels with France's historic protest movements, Smith identifies a "convergence of causes" rooted in economic insecurity, educational inequalities and political paralysis.

He warns that a repressive response risks deepening the crisis, calling instead for a renewed commitment to "participatory social democracy".

Looted goods may have been posted for sale on certain online sites, including Vinted, a popular app ⁠for buying and ​selling second-hand clothing. Vinted said its teams had taken "immediate action" since the weekend to identify and remove listings suspected of being linked to looting, and ‌had increased scrutiny of suspicious adverts. Accounts found to have breached its rules ⁠could face permanent bans, it said."

The sale of stolen goods, or soliciting them, is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have zero tolerance for it," a Vinted ​spokesperson said in a statement. The company said it was working with ‌law enforcement and French authorities and would continue to adapt its processes to identify and counter emerging risks and malicious behaviour.

French Labour Minister Farandou meets with shop owners affected by vandalism in Paris

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Monday accused the "ultra-left movement" of seeking to "orchestrate deep unrest across the country" in the runup to next year's presidential election. FRANCE 24 International Affairs Editor Angela Diffley looks back at Lecornu's remarks in the wake of the violent protests that shook the country over the weekend.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday blamed immigration for unrest during protests in France and urged the country to tighten its migration rules. Trump's post comes after similar comments made by Vice President JD Vance on Saturday.

Vance, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in the 2028 election, also drew a connection to upcoming midterm races for congressional seats on November 3, where Republicans are not expected to perform well. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson reports from the United States.

The Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will go ahead as planned on Tuesday in Paris, the French Interior minister confirmed, despite the ongoing violence across the country. Tuesday's match between PSG and Barcelona at the Parc des Princes will require a robust security deployment, with police forces already strained following weeks of student protests.

In May, Paris police detained dozens of people after violence disrupted celebrations of PSG's second Champions League title win and a group tried to storm a police station in the French capital.

China has warned its citizens travelling to France to be aware of risks and take safety precautions after violent protests across the country, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday. More than 2,500 people were arrested after around half a million turned out across France on Saturday to protest against the cost of living.

Town halls and shops were looted and set on fire in what was some of France's worst violence in years. China's foreign ministry and its embassy in France warned of "violent incidents and clashes between police and civilians" and urged citizens to "raise their risk awareness, closely monitor the local situation, strengthen safety precautions, and avoid demonstration areas", according to CCTV.

Around 100 people gathered in front of the Paris City Hall on Monday as Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire denounced the attacks against democratic institutions that had taken place across the city since Saturday.

“As long as there is no political response to the crisis, it will not be resolved,” Emmanuel Grégoire declared at midday, wearing his mayoral sash, before the participants, including his advisors and numerous journalists.

“We must work toward a more precise platform of demands to lay the groundwork for a way out of the crisis,” said the mayor of Paris, calling on Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to “take up this issue and begin negotiations with high school, student, and employee organisations.”

Far-left candidate and leader of France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, reacted to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's remarks after an interministerial crisis meeting.

He called on the PM to provide evidence for his claim that an "ultra-left" group is planning to plunge the country into chaos leading up to the presidential election:"As a candidate, I find this surprising, as I have heard no mention of such a thing – neither in private nor in public, nor in any calls to action for demonstrations anywhere."

He added on X, "If the prime minister is neither a liar nor someone seeking to incite disorder, he must name those involved and provide proof for his accusation. Otherwise, he should apologise, hold his tongue, and stop stoking disorder – as he, the Paris police chief, and the minister of the interior are currently doing. (At least the Minister of the Interior had the decency to offer his resignation.)"

With costs of living rising across Europe, smaller demonstrations have broken out in other countries. During the weekend, clashes broke out on the sidelines of a cost-of-living demonstration in Milan, with Mayor Giuseppe Sala warning: "I'm very worried because it's a new phenomenon, which also originates from an international scenario and therefore feeds itself."

A smashed window following protests in Milan, Italy's financial capital. Credit: Daniele Mascolo, ReutersIn Spain, hundreds of tents have occupied Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square since September, when the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her lifelong flat sparked nationwide protests in a country with soaring housing costs.

Dozens of tents have also sprung up in Portugal's main cities of Lisbon and Porto, with protesters demanding action over rising costs of housing.

A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there is no excuse for the violent protests seen across France at the weekend, branding them "unacceptable"." Clearly, the violence we're seeing on the streets of France is unacceptable," Prime Minister Andy Burnham's official spokesman told reporters." While the power to protest is at the heart of democracy, this can never excuse violence," he added.

The spokesman urged any Britons living in France who are concerned about the unrest to "follow local advice from the authorities".

The European Union has said the right to peaceful protest "must be protected" in France, while slamming nationwide arson, looting and attacks at the weekend as "unacceptable"." Those who demonstrate peacefully must not be conflated with those who commit violence," EU spokesman Markus Lammert said.

The European Commission, the EU's digital regulator, is also in "close contact" with France's ARCOM media regulator to ensure social media and video-sharing platforms enforce digital content rules against manipulating information and inciting violence."

When online platforms are becoming aware or have a suspicion of a criminal offence that may occur, they have to proactively enforce and inform national authorities," EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said.

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