French government extends curfews after riots sweep across the country

French authorities are extending curfews and increasing the police presence in public spaces as President Emmanuel Macron's government tries to regain control after rioters torched buildings and looted thousands of businesses this weekend. But addressing the problems that have brought students and workers to the streets for the last five weeks will be a tougher proposition. Protesters are demanding better schools and relief from rising living costs, while the government faces mounting debt and a fractured parliament that makes even passing a budget difficult. RATP transport security officers and RATP staff stand inside the closed off Republique Metro station during a partial curfew for parts of Paris on Oct. 20, 2026, after weekend demonstrations over soaring prices degenerated into some of the worst street violence in recent years. SIMON WOHLFAHRT /AFP via Getty Images More police and curfewsPrime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised a "massive" police deployment Tuesday ahead of the next demonstrations scheduled for Oct. 24. The announcement followed Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's acknowledgment that authorities had underestimated the unrest and lost control in some cities duri...