French cities calm overnight after curfews imposed to quell violence, PM says

Targeted curfews across France contributed to a quiet night following a weekend of riots and looting across the country, the Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said.

Curfews were introduced across parts of central Paris, including Place de la République, where protesters had gathered over the weekend, and the Les Halles shopping area.

Other measures restricting the movement of young people and gatherings were introduced in cities such as Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon in the south, as well as Lille and other towns in the north.

Lecornu thanked police officers and gendarmes for enforcing the measures, adding that further curfews on Tuesday night would be decided depending on where they are necessary.

Writing in a post on X, he said decisions would be made "on the ground" by French regions and local mayors.

Earlier Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted police had "lost control" in some cities.

He had been strongly criticised by opposition politicians over the preparedness for the disorder, leading him to offer his resignation on Monday, which was rejected by President Emmanuel Macron.

More than 2,500 people have been arrested since the disorder broke out, officials said. One demonstrator's hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade, according to the AFP news agency. About 1,000 police officers were injured.

Protests first began last month with students demanding better school conditions but they have escalated to take in a broader range of concerns with numbers at demonstrations bolstered by trade unions and various protest groups.