French PM Blames 'Ultra-Left' for Protests, Plans Curfews

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has blamed 'ultra-left' groups for 'exploiting' ongoing protests, as his government prepares to introduce partial curfews in response to escalating unrest across the country.

Speaking amid growing concern over the scale of the demonstrations, Lecornu said new measures would take effect from tonight, though specific details about which areas would be affected were not immediately clear.

The announcement comes after police arrested approximately 2,400 people nationwide during the protests, a figure that underscores the widespread nature of the unrest. The sheer scale of these arrests has drawn significant attention both domestically and internationally.

President Emmanuel Macron has also addressed the crisis, criticising what he described as 'unbridled violence' occurring during the protests. His comments appear to align with the government's broader narrative framing certain elements of the unrest as extremist in nature.

Lecornu's remarks suggest the government is attempting to distinguish between legitimate protest activity and what it considers to be opportunistic violence carried out by fringe political actors. This framing may be aimed at justifying the introduction of stricter security measures without alienating the broader public who may sympathise with the underlying grievances driving the protests.

The decision to impose partial curfews represents a significant escalation in the government's response, marking one of the more assertive measures taken so far. Curfews, which restrict movement during specified hours, are typically used as emergency tools when authorities believe other forms of crowd control have proven insufficient.

It remains to be seen how protesters and opposition figures will respond to these new restrictions, particularly given the already high number of arrests and the government's framing of certain groups as responsible for the violence. Analysts are watching closely to see whether the measures succeed in calming tensions or risk further inflaming an already volatile situation.

The crisis has placed considerable pressure on Lecornu's government, which must now balance maintaining public order with avoiding further escalation of the political tensions underlying the protests.