France: Marseille imposed its first curfew on Tuesday night as residents and the government hoped for relative calm following a weekend of violent protests across France. Paris also faced a second night of curfew restrictions as police patrolled the capital.
Targeted curfews have been introduced over the past two nights in several areas affected by the unrest. The government said the measures had helped restore calm and reassert control after rioting and looting swept Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and other cities on Saturday.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament on Tuesday that restoring order was the immediate priority. He acknowledged shortcomings in the state's response to the weekend violence, citing intelligence failures, overly static police deployments, and the decision not to cancel planned police leave.
The unrest has shocked France because of its scale and the apparent inability of the police to contain it. It has also heightened tensions ahead of next year's presidential election, with candidates from the far right and hard left performing strongly in polls.
In Paris, residents expressed mixed views on the second night of partial curfews. Place de la République was cordoned off, police officers were stationed outside the nearby metro station, and a helicopter circled overhead.
Student Raphaël said a curfew could help curb "excessive violence", while Mamadou Diouaré argued that the night-time restrictions would not stop looting and could instead fuel resentment among young people.
"It depends on how long it's going to last," student Carla said, adding that the impact of an increased police presence remained unclear.
Lecornu said earlier on Tuesday that targeted curfews imposed in parts of Paris and other cities after several days of protests that turned violent had helped maintain peace overnight. He added that local authorities would be able to impose targeted curfews again on Tuesday night wherever they considered them necessary.
The government has also pledged a major security deployment, including troops alongside police, for further protests planned for Saturday.
Governments in Europe and Asia, including China, have advised their citizens travelling to France to avoid large crowds and exercise caution, warning of deteriorating security conditions.