French PM promises more curfews as authorities seek to regain control | News of the demonstrations

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said local authorities would coordinate with mayors to decide whether to impose a curfew.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said new curfews would be imposed if necessary in parts of the country, as authorities sought to restore order after weekend protests over the cost of living and problems in the education system escalated into riots.

In an article on X on Tuesday, Lecornu said local authorities would coordinate with mayors to decide whether to impose a curfew in their respective prefectures.

More than half a million people gathered across France on Saturday for protests bringing together students demanding better education conditions and groups rejecting the high cost of living. The protests resulted in looting and arson in many places, with more than 2,500 people arrested.

Monday night passed without any major incident throughout France, police confirmed.

The government is to hold a series of meetings to step up efforts to contain the unrest, which follows weeks of student protests over education standards.

French Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff is due to meet social media bosses on Tuesday to discuss the protests. In an article on X on Monday, Henanff said goods looted over the weekend were being sold online and called on platforms to remove such listings.

Protesters have called for further demonstrations this Saturday, but France’s main unions have not backed the call, with union officials due to meet with Lecornu on Wednesday. On Thursday, Lecornu will speak with political parties about the protests ahead of the presidential elections which will take place in April and May next year.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, is currently leading the polls. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who heads La France Insoumise, currently occupies second place. President Emmanuel Macron cannot run due to France’s two-term limit.

Both Le Pen and Mélenchon have been accused of exploiting protests ahead of next year’s vote.

Alice Cohen-Morzadec, spokesperson for the French Students’ Union, told Al Jazeera the protests were an “explosion” of anger in response to Macron’s policies, which she said had “destroyed” students’ living conditions.

“One in two students cannot eat properly. One in three students does not have a permanent place to live. We cannot study in these conditions,” Cohen-Morzadec said.