France gripped by protests as Lecornu does not rule out state of emergency

A broad wave of unrest has swept across France, as authorities consider additional measures to halt the violence and restore order in the affected cities.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday that the government could declare a state of emergency if the escalation of the situation made it necessary.

Following a crisis meeting with government officials, Lecornu stated that he was determined to restore order and that the use of such a measure had not been ruled out.

However, he said that under the current circumstances, a more appropriate alternative would be to impose local curfews.

The prime minister has asked regional authorities to consider restricting movement in certain areas, primarily with the aim of protecting businesses from looting and vandalism.

French authorities said that the weekend unrest had damaged at least 3,000 businesses. The government has declared that these businesses will be supported through a special fund, as well as other measures to address the damage.

Lecornu also sought to reassure citizens, stressing that the violence had not spread across all of France but was concentrated mainly in several urban centers.

During the tense situation, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez submitted his resignation, arguing that police had lost control in several cities over the weekend.

President Emmanuel Macron, however, decided not to accept the minister’s resignation.

Nuñez announced that measures against looting and acts of vandalism would begin to be implemented on Monday evening. He also announced that the presence of police and gendarmerie forces on the ground would be reinforced.

The violent weekend protests followed several weeks of student demonstrations over demands to improve conditions in schools. The escalation has increased pressure on the French government as the country approaches the election of President Macron’s successor.

Lecornu accused the far-left movement of attempting to provoke deep unrest in the country ahead of the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, authorities are preparing to strengthen security measures and are determining the areas where movement restrictions will be imposed.