French government extends curfews after riots sweep across the country

October 20, 2026 / 6:33 PM EDT / CBS News

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.

Prime 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 during Saturday's protests.

More than 2,500 people had been taken into police custody by Monday evening, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, after violence that included the burning of a historic town hall in Limoges, a city in central France.

Overnight curfews have been imposed around Paris' Place de la République and Les Halles shopping district, with restrictions also introduced in Lyon and other cities. Paris and Lyon…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/