France imposes 8 p.m. curfews in Lille and neighboring towns after riots
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced Monday that an eight‑hour curfew – from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. – will be enforced in Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain after Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police had lost control of riots that swept several French cities over the weekend.
The targeted curfews, described as “very limited” and “localized,” are intended to stem a wave of looting, arson and violent clashes that erupted during cost‑of‑living protests and threatened public safety and local economies in the Nord department.
All four municipalities agreed to the measure after their mayors were briefed on the escalation. Lille’s mayor Arnaud Deslandes initially resisted the order, arguing that the curfew did not match the hours when the unrest began, but later signed the decree following the minister’s warning. Denain had already imposed a 9 p.m. curfew on Sunday after fires, mortar fireworks and stones were hurled at police.
Nuñez presented his resignation on Sunday, citing “lack of foresight” in deploying law‑enforcement resources. President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation, emphasizing the need for continuity in police leadership while traveling to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar to negotiate diesel and oil supplies amid rising fuel prices.
“Now, the issue at hand is ensuring that this violence does not happen again,” Nuñez told France Inter, adding that the government must improve its ability to anticipate mobilisations.
The interior ministry later reported nearly 2,400 arrests nationwide and close to 1,000 police and gendarmes injured, seven of them seriously. Authorities estimate that at least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted, including an Apple Store in Lille. No fatalities have been confirmed, which officials called “a miracle.”
While a full state of emergency has not been declared, Lecornu warned that such a step could be taken “if necessary,” and stressed his determination to restore order. The curfews will be reviewed after Tuesday night, and police remain on heightened alert across the affected cities.
