French authorities in multiple cities banned protests planned across the country on Thursday after a weekend of clashes and widespread looting in France’s most violent unrest in years.
The turmoil in Paris and other French cities has prompted a strong security response from the government. Night curfews have been implemented in some areas of the French capital, as well as in other cities where calm has been restored.
Demonstrations planned Thursday in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble were banned, a move seen by some as an infringement on French people’s right to protest.But high school and university student groups say they will continue to mobilise, even though the autumn school break started this week.
The Paris police prefecture said the ban was necessary given the risk of street violence that erupted over the weekend, when groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars.
The ban in Paris will last until 8 p.m. local time and apply to areas including the Elysée presidential palace, both houses of parliament, and the city’s main train stations. Areas in downtown Paris which were severely hit by the looting are also covered.
Thursday’s planned protests were seen as a prelude to Saturday’s big demonstration, when activists from the “ yellow vest ” movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019, are expected to join.Some of those protests, including marches in Lyon, will also be banned, local authorities said.
