On Monday, 19 October 2026, the French government moved from counting the damage of the 17 October riots to imposing restrictions. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called for partial curfews as protesters blocked the entrance to the Louvre in Paris. Lecornu did not rule out a state of emergency, after Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police "had lost control" during the weekend's unrest. "I'm absolutely determined to restore public order," he said.
Where the curfews apply
Local authorities set the details on the evening of 19 October:
Paris: Place de la République was under curfew from 11 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, and the streets around Les Halles from 10 p.m.
Lyon: gatherings on public roads were banned from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., followed by a curfew in parts of the city from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Marseille: the prefect banned any protest or other gatherings from noon to 8 p.m.
Nord department: a curfew for under-18s in several cities, including Lille, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting Monday and running for two days. Lille's Socialist mayor, Arnaud Deslandes, had at first refused to sign the order, arguing that a late-evening curfew would not match the hours when the trouble broke out.
Nice: an overnight curfew for minors from 9 p.m.
Nuñez stays in post
Nuñez offered his resignation on Sunday, 18 October, but President Emmanuel Macron asked him to stay to respond to police needs in an emergency. "I submitted my resignation because I am responsible for everything that is happening," Nuñez said on France Inter radio. Macron told him to ensure "full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence-gathering that led to the violence." He also asked for "new policing tactics on the ground as quickly as possible". Macron then left for a tour of the Gulf to secure fuel supplies.
Lecornu blamed "an ultra-left movement intent on orchestrating profound disorder in the country leading up to the presidential election" in April. He said a "whole network" could be mobilised to call into question the election timetable itself.
The latest figures
Arrests: more than 2,500, according to the Justice Ministry. That is up from the interior ministry's figure of 2,397 on 18 October.
Businesses: at least 3,000 damaged or looted in several cities, by the authorities' estimate on 19 October.
Deaths: reports differ. Lecornu said no one had been killed in the violence on 17 October, calling it a 'miracle'. Police separately reported that a person died of cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris. It has not been established that violence caused the death. CNN reported at least two deaths and two people who lost their hands.
In Limoges, firefighters said they saved four-fifths of the town hall. The bell tower and roof had collapsed.
The Louvre and what's planned next
About a dozen demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Louvre, which closed while they occupied the area outside the glass pyramid. Students from the École du Louvre were among them. They came to support the high school students' movement and to denounce police repression.
Football will go ahead as planned: officials discussed calling off events, but Nuñez said this would not apply to the PSG–FC Barcelona match on 20 October. The Lille–Galatasaray match on Wednesday, 21 October, is also unaffected.
The "yellow vests" movement, which organised the rallies on 17 October, has called for a new round of protests on Saturday, 24 October. The cost of living is still driving the protests: diesel prices have risen nearly 40% and petrol 25% since March, and food prices are up 25% since 2021.
On Monday, 19 October 2026, the French government moved from counting the damage of the 17 October riots to imposing restrictions. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called for partial curfews as protesters blocked the entrance to the Louvre in Paris. Lecornu did not rule out a state of emergency, after Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police "had lost control" during the weekend's unrest. "I'm absolutely determined to restore public order," he said.
Where the curfews apply
Local authorities set the details on the evening of 19 October:
Nuñez stays in post
Nuñez offered his resignation on Sunday, 18 October, but President Emmanuel Macron asked him to stay to respond to police needs in an emergency. "I submitted my resignation because I am responsible for everything that is happening," Nuñez said on France Inter radio. Macron told him to ensure "full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence-gathering that led to the violence." He also asked for "new policing tactics on the ground as quickly as possible". Macron then left for a tour of the Gulf to secure fuel supplies.
Lecornu blamed "an ultra-left movement intent on orchestrating profound disorder in the country leading up to the presidential election" in April. He said a "whole network" could be mobilised to call into question the election timetable itself.
The latest figures
In Limoges, firefighters said they saved four-fifths of the town hall. The bell tower and roof had collapsed.
The Louvre and what's planned next
About a dozen demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Louvre, which closed while they occupied the area outside the glass pyramid. Students from the École du Louvre were among them. They came to support the high school students' movement and to denounce police repression.
Football will go ahead as planned: officials discussed calling off events, but Nuñez said this would not apply to the PSG–FC Barcelona match on 20 October. The Lille–Galatasaray match on Wednesday, 21 October, is also unaffected.
The "yellow vests" movement, which organised the rallies on 17 October, has called for a new round of protests on Saturday, 24 October. The cost of living is still driving the protests: diesel prices have risen nearly 40% and petrol 25% since March, and food prices are up 25% since 2021.
Sources