French PM orders ‘localized’ curfews in response to looting and unrest

PARIS — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he has instructed local authorities to enact “partial curfews” Monday evening to prevent scenes of rioting and looting like those seen on the sidelines of mass protests over the weekend. The measure is intended to “protect people, as well as property and businesses,” Lecornu said. The curfews should be “partial” and “localized,” he added, since the destruction is taking place in specific areas and not at a nationwide scale. Junior minister Jean-Didier Berger told French broadcaster BFM that this could mean restricting nighttime access to specific streets or areas with a high concentration of businesses.