PARIS, Oct. 19 - Paris police have ordered an overnight curfew in two central areas of the French capital after rioting and looting, with restrictions running from 11 p.m. on Oct. 19 until 6 a.m. on Oct. 20, local time.
The measure covers Place de la République and a defined sector around the Les Halles shopping area. It does not apply to all of Paris.
Police said the order was intended to protect people and property from violence and looting, according to The Associated Press.
Local Restrictions and Exemptions
Residents, people working in the affected areas, emergency-service personnel and shopkeepers are exempt, according to the prefecture’s order reproduced by The Guardian. Le Monde’s account of the order confirms those exemptions.
A separate ban on gatherings and demonstrations applies from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in designated sectors of Paris. The demonstration ban and curfew are separate measures with different boundaries.
Other Cities Introduce Curfews
Nighttime restrictions are also being introduced in parts of Lille and three other northern cities, with the measures beginning at 8 p.m., according to Interfax. In Lille, the curfew concerns minors.
Nice has imposed a curfew for minors from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., while restrictions in central Lyon also run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. There is no single nationwide curfew: the scope and conditions are determined locally.
The orders follow President Emmanuel Macron’s address on Sunday, Oct. 18, and mark a shift from reviewing the police response to imposing specific nighttime restrictions.
The unrest followed mass protests over rising living costs and school conditions, during which public buildings were attacked and shops looted. Authorities have distinguished peaceful demonstrations from the violence and looting.
Source: Vesti Baku