France announces nightly curfews 'for as long as necessary' in Paris and other cities

A woman walks past burned-out cars after a quiet night Monday under curfew, the first since weekend protests over the cost of living turned into rioting and looting across France, in Paris, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Christophe Ena/AP hide caption Christophe Ena/AP PARIS — Fresh curfews were being imposed across the city centers of Paris and Lyon on Tuesday after the first quiet night since France's most destructive rioting in years, as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a "massive" security operation was planned for new protests Saturday. Paris police said the curfew in two designated zones — around Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district — had restored "public peace" overnight and would remain in place "for as long as necessary." The curfew zones leave out other areas hit on Saturday, including the Champs-Elysées and the area around the Saint-Lazare train station and parts of the Rue de Turbigo in central Paris, where protesters set up barricades and lit fires. In Lyon, one of France's largest cities, authorities also renewed a curfew in the city center from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., saying no disturbances had been recorded overnight. Marseille, France's second-larges...