French authorities imposed overnight curfews in central Paris and multiple cities after a weekend of widespread rioting and looting across the country.
Police in Paris restricted movement between 23:00 and 06:00 in Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping area. Partial curfews were announced for Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, Lille and other towns. A ban on unauthorised gatherings was also imposed in several Paris city centre locations.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted police had "lost control" in some cities, though President Emmanuel Macron rejected his resignation offer. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said local mayors would receive power to implement curfews "where they need" and did not rule out declaring a state of emergency.
More than 2,500 people were arrested. About 1,000 police officers were injured. One demonstrator lost a hand to a police crowd-control grenade, according to the AFP news agency.
The disturbances began last month with student demands for improved school conditions but expanded to include broader concerns. About 550,000 demonstrators took to streets over the weekend protesting rising fuel prices, cost of living increases and deteriorating public services. Trade unions and various protest groups joined the demonstrations. Groups of rioters, some wearing black clothing, masks and balaclavas, set fires to cars and buildings and looted businesses in Paris, Marseille and other locations. In Limoges, rioters set fire to a 19th century city hall, destroying its roof and collapsing the clock tower.
More than 2,000 shops and businesses were directly impacted, according to the head of France's Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Alain Di Crescenzo estimated damage at "hundreds of millions of euros". Jean-Luc Chauvin, president of the Marseille branch, told the BBC that shop owners were in "deep distress" and feared for their survival.
Lecornu announced the government would set aside money to help affected areas recover, with funding recovered from those responsible for damage. He said a law would be enacted to ensure those who damaged property would have to pay. He also announced a partial unemployment fund for those unable to work due to the riots.
Nuñez said 200 investigators were analyzing CCTV footage to identify possible ringleaders. Two French government ministers said looted goods appeared on selling platforms. A Vinted spokesperson said the platform had "taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting."
Some politicians accused the left-wing La France Insoumise party of involvement. Lecornu alleged some groups "want to create chaos in our country up until the presidential elections." Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a candidate in next year's presidential election, called on the Prime Minister to "prove his accusation" or apologize.
The US, China and Germany issued travel alerts regarding the unrest.