Paris and Nice under partial curfew after weekend rioting

French authorities imposed partial overnight curfews in Paris and Nice on Tuesday, October 20, after days of rioting that left President Emmanuel Macron conceding "failures in anticipation and intelligence" by police.

Macron vowed to punish those responsible for the violence while drawing a distinction between rioters and demonstrators. He attributed the weekend disorder to organised ultraleft groups.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said after an emergency cabinet meeting that he was "fully resolved to restore public order" and called for the localised curfews now in force. He ruled out any broader nationwide measure.

Catherine Field, a journalist in Paris, told DW the protests were markedly different from previous unrest: demonstrators appeared simultaneously in multiple parts of the capital, targeting state institutions directly, and police appeared at points to have lost control of the situation.

French unions have already called a new round of rallies for 5 November, signalling that the pressure on the government will not ease quickly.