French officials explore curfews after weekend of chaos

0 October 19, 2026 11:00

French officials are exploring introducing curfews as the country reels from its worst rioting in years after protests over education and the cost of living spiraled into a wave of deadly, country-wide violence that has sparked a blame game at home and threatens to spill over into its European neighbors.

Over the weekend, police fired tear gas into crowds and fought running battles with black-clad, hooded rioters who set fires and broke into shops and government buildings, with images showing historic buildings ablaze.

The mood in the country remained tense on Monday, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu asking some cities to impose “partial curfews” to protect people, property and businesses.

CNN’s Melissa Bell reports on the aftermath of the violence and CNN European affairs commentator Dominic Thomas and journalist Cole Stangler discuss the political implications as France moves towards elections next Spring.

0:00 French President Emmanuel Macron speaks after violent riots
1:02 CNN’s Melissa Bell reports on the riots and widespread looting
4:09 Why are protests escalating to violence?
9:16 A look at the damage in Paris
12:52 Journalist on what he saw in Marseille

Watch 24/7 live news with CNN Headlines: https://bit.ly/4eIvlTr

Stream more on CNN with an All Access subscription: https://cnn.it/4AZMu54

#News

Tags: Breaking News, Cnn, CNN International, Latest News, Latest News and Videos