Violent protests have shaken France. The blame game is now in full flowpublished at 21:56 BST 19 October

21:56 BST 19 October

Katya Adler
Europe editor, reporting from Paris

The French are well-known in Europe for their passion for protesting; voicing anger loudly when they feel the authorities are letting them down.

But this weekend's violence has shaken France. The blame game is in full flow.

Did the government here drop the ball from a security point of view or is the anti-capitalist left responsible for encouraging the public disorder this weekend?

Or can the anti-immigration right use Saturday's riots to push a message on law and order and closed borders?

These questions - and accusations - are amplified as this country approaches a hotly-contested presidential election.

It's left many in France feeling somewhat abandoned.

They say France’s political parties appear to be using the volatility on the streets to try to score political points, while ordinary people worry about public safety, public services and the next mass demonstration.

France’s neighbours in Europe look on with concern. Though many of them like Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Albania are seeing their own cost of living protests.

We're now bringing our coverage to an end, but you can follow more on this story across the BBC:

• Read: Curfew imposed in parts of central Paris and other cities after rioting across France
• Watch: Shops looted and restaurants gutted in Paris riots
• In pictures: French landmarks damaged and destroyed by violent protesters

Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Overnight curfews will be imposed across parts of France, including central Paris, after disorder which saw more than half a million people take to the streets on Saturday.

The movement of people in parts of the capital is banned from 23:00 local time (22:00 BST) on Monday until 06:00 (05:00 BST) on Tuesday.

In Nice - in the south of the country - a specific curfew is in place for young people.

The southern city of Lyon and northern cities such as Lille will also see partial curfews this evening.

The power to impose such orders was granted by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu earlier on Monday, who said the protests had been led by "ultra-left radical groups" hoping to "create chaos" before the 2027 French presidential elections.

Some 2,000 businesses are thought to have been impacted by the weekend's riots, with government ministers calling on selling platforms to remove listings of goods stolen from the protests.

Across France, it has been a day of reckoning: reckoning up the damage, a reckoning for the police and a reckoning of politics, our Paris correspondent writes.

The unrest began last month over education standards in the capital, including dilapidated school buildings and teacher shortages, but have since broadened to include other topics such as the rising cost of living.

We'll shortly be pausing our live coverage, but before we do we can bring you our Europe editor's take on the impact of the protests in France.

The US Embassy in France has issued an alert advising its citizens to avoid areas affected by the recent demonstrations.

The warning says to "exercise caution" if they find themselves close to large gatherings.

Other advice includes checking curfew restrictions, flight schedules and allowing extra time for travel.

Earlier, we reported similar safety warnings from China and Germany.

Madeleine Lake
Live reporter

Image source, Anastasia Konova

Anastasia heard a "loud bang" at a restaurant in the heart of Paris before the room filled with tear gas, she tells me.

Her and her mother ran to the back of the restaurant to escape after staff closed metal shutters at the entrance to prevent gas coming in, but there was no way out.

My mother thought she was going to die. We've never experienced anything like that, the 24-year-old said. "Within a few seconds your eyes water".

Originally from the Netherlands, Anastasia has lived in Paris for a year now, and says she didn't know the area she lives in would become so "chaotic".

Once she managed to escape through the shutters of the restaurant she says she saw a gas canister on the ground.

"I was on my knees trying to spit it all out. It feels like you've eaten fire. I felt it in my eyes, I couldn't see anything, I was coughing."

Anastasia worries about future protests and being without her mother, she says she feels "stressed" and will stay in districts further out with friends and colleagues if she needs to.

"I saw in other cities they're burning buildings, I hope that doesn't happen here."

Freya Scott-Turner
in Marseille

Image source, Freya Scott-Turner

We’ve been staying in the old port area of Marseille since Thursday - so found ourselves right in the thick of things this weekend.

The damage from looting is really stark walking around today.

There are still charred bins scattered around and shopfronts smashed - a couple of those have still opened their doors.

Some big brands were left untouched, while a small optometrists up the road was completely wrecked.

We saw the devastated-looking owners surveying the damage the next day.

We also saw, late on Saturday, a group of men loaded up white sacks full of stuff onto these mopeds, brazenly in front of where we were eating dinner.

Image source, Freya Scott-Turner

Image source, Reuters

Earlier we reported restrictions would be coming into place in Lyon, citing local media.

We can now bring you the update from the Rhône prefecture, confirming that a partial curfew will begin at 21:00 local time (20:00 BST) on Monday and end at 06:00 on Tuesday 20 October.

A ban on gatherings came into force earlier this evening - beginning at 18:00 local time (17:00 BST) and ended a few minutes ago at 21:00 local time (20:00 BST).

The prefecture says the decision follows the prime minister's earlier remarks on partial curfews, and conversations with the mayor of Lyon and representatives of businesses, restaurants and hotels this afternoon.

A day of reckoning in Francepublished at 19:56 BST 19 October

19:56 BST 19 October

Hugh Schofield
Paris Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

By the Place de la République in central Paris, the street cleaners are still at it; scraping up bits of charred plastic from the road.

Around the square there’s the sound of hammers and drills, as workmen patch up the smashed shopfronts.

Today has been a day of reckoning: first, reckoning up the damage.

Across the country some 3,000 stores were vandalised and/or looted on Saturday night. Many were in Marseille, including the clothing store belonging to Gerard Nouchi.

There’s a reckoning at the policing level too. What went wrong? Why was there no accurate forecast of the coming violence?

Why were police outnumbered and unable to intervene to protect property. And then there is the reckoning of politics.

Image source, Reuters

Today the government pointed the finger of blame once again at the far-left and its outspoken presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

He’s fomenting unrest ahead of the presidential election, said the prime minister.

To which Mélenchon instantly retorted: show me the evidence. It’s you the government that created the mess.

To the side sits Marine le Pen, candidate of the hard-right: who could be in line to benefit from an inevitable law-and-order backlash.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Several cities across France have imposed partial curfews after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu gave some local mayors the power to do so.

Here are the areas where a partial curfew will come into place this evening:

Paris

Police in Paris have said the movement of people in parts of the capital is banned from 23:00 local time (22:00 BST) on Monday until 06:00 (05:00 BST) on Tuesday.

Local police say a ban on gatherings is also in place from 20:00 local time (19:00 BST) on Monday to 06:00 (05:00 BST) on Tuesday, preventing people from carrying weapons, fireworks or dangerous flammables.

Nice

Nice's mayor announced a curfew for young people from 21:00 local time (20:00 BST) to 06:00 (05:00 BST) each night until next Sunday, with the department's prefect also announcing a ban on certain items and equipment that could be used for public disturbances.

Lyon

A curfew is also in place in Lyon from 21:00 local time (20:00 BST) on Monday to 06:00 (05:00 BST) on Tuesday, local media reported citing the Rhône prefecture.

Northern cities

The local mayor of Coulaines in north-west France announced a curfew for young people, not allowing them to be out past 23:00 local time (22:00 BST).

French media is reporting partial curfews in several northern French cities from 20:00-06:00 local time (19:00-05:00 BST) according to Lecornu's office, including Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain.

The Rhône prefecture has announced a curfew for the south-eastern city of Lyon from 21:00 local time (20:00 BST) to 06:00 tomorrow (05:00 BST), according to France24 and BFM TV.

The ban applies to demonstrations and processions in the city centre, reports Le Figaro.

We can bring you more now on the restrictions in place in Paris overnight.

In an update, the Préfecture de Police say that the movement of people is prohibited from 23:00 local time (22:00 BST) on 19 October until 06:00 local time (05:00 BST) on 20 October.

This will be in place in the parts of the French capital, including the central median of the Place de la République, in central Paris, where protesters had gathered over the weekend.

The local police also say a ban on gatherings is in place from 20:00 local time (19:00 BST) on 19 October to 06:00 (05:00 BST) on 20 October.

Under the ban, people cannot carry any weapons, fireworks or dangerous flammables such as petrol, oil and gas.

Image source, Reuters

The mayor of Nice has announced that a curfew for young people will begin at 21:00 local time (20:00 BST) on Monday.

Éric Ciotti says in a video posted on social media that the restriction will last until 06:00 (05:00 BST) and be in place nightly until next Sunday.

He says the order has been issued in consultation with the prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, which says in a separate update that several objects such as fireworks and flammable substances had been banned.

It adds personal protective equipment that could be used during public disturbances such as ski goggles have been banned, with measures remaining in place until 25 October.

A curfew has been imposed to landmark shopping areas in central Paris, according to public radio, BFM TV, and AFP.

The restriction is set for the Place de la Republique and streets around Les Halles in Paris from 23:00 local time (22:00 BST) on Monday night until 06:00 local time (05:00 BST) on Tuesday.

We'll bring you more on this and other curfews shortly.

Sophie Calvert
BBC Newsbeat

Image source, Handout

US artist Isa Obradovich, who is currently living in Paris, has been documenting the protests on social media over the past few weeks.

The 22-year-old content creator tells BBC Newsbeat that it feels like frustration with the French government has "reached a boiling point".

She says the protests she has been at with thousands of people have been "overwhelmingly positive and joyful", but things were more tense this weekend.

"I was tear gassed four times and walked through even more clouds of tear gas at the protests," she recalls.

"And I was just there taking pictures and trying to keep my distance and stay within what I know are my limits because I'm disabled."

Obradovich, who is also a French citizen, says it is "really unfortunate" that some businesses have been damaged and looted, but she believes it’s a "small minority" that have taken advantage of the unrest.

"There have been efforts by the community [to come] together to do fundraiser campaigns to help small businesses rebuild," she says.

"It's not that young people want to go out and smash and break things out of anger, it's that we genuinely want to construct a better future for all of us, that works for all of us."

Image source, Reuters

The Champions League fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will go ahead as planned on Tuesday despite this week's protests, according to the French interior minister.

Speaking after an emergency meeting with top government officials, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez says the possibility of calling off planned events was discussed, including football matches, AP news agency reports.

"But this does not apply to tomorrow’s match between PSG and FC Barcelona," he says.

Nuñez adds that other matches planned in European competitions this week would not be affected.

Speaking earlier, he said police "lost control" of protests in some cities over the weekend.

Authorities have issued a partial curfew in several northern French cities from 20:00-06:00 local time (19:00-05:00 BST), AFP and France24 report, citing the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

The curfew covers the cities of Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain in northern France, reports say.

Wedaeli Chibelushi
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After a weekend of some of the most widespread disorder in modern French history, the country is now taking stock of the damage, asking who is to blame, and wondering what comes next.

• More than 2,000 businesses were struck by the riots, France's Chamber of Commerce and Industry says, estimating that the damage comes to "hundreds of millions of euros"
• France's interior minister took responsibility for unrest, saying his team had underestimated the size of the protests
• The justice minister and the prime minister pointed towards the "far-left", with the PM saying radical groups are set on destabilising France ahead of next year's elections
• But in dealing with the violence, politicians have been reminded not to lose sight of why the protests started, and to find a solution to the frustrations voiced by students across the country
• French PM Sébastien Lecornu has announced some French cities will be given the power to implement partial curfews - read more about that here
• A separate emergency ban on public gatherings hasbeen implemented in Marseille - this began at noon and will remain in place until 20:00 local time (11:00-19:00 BST)

Stay with us as we continue to bring you more updates.

In Coulaines, north-west France, the local mayor has issued a curfew for the town's young people.

Minors in the town are not allowed to be out past 23:00 local time (22:00 BST), the town's mayor Christophe Roullion wrote in a post on Facebook.

His remarks follow Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's calls for localised curfews as he gave regional mayors more powers to impose them in affected parts of the country.

It's unclear what these curfews will look like, as each local authority can impose its own rules. Our Paris correspondent writes that curfews could mean areas like Place de la République in the capital are off-limits during specific times.

It's up to each mayor to say how things will look in their towns as Lecornu stopped short of calling a state of emergency.

An exceptional period of protests, even by France's standards, researchers saypublished at 16:38 BST 19 October

16:38 BST 19 October

By Daniel Wainwright

France is experiencing an “exceptional” period of protests, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (Acled).

The independent organisation collects and analyses information on political violence and demonstrations around the world.

Acled says it has recorded almost 66 demonstrations a day in France during the current wave of unrest, more than three times the average of just over 20 per day in periods of unrest during the past five years. Its data goes up to last Friday, 16 October.

Almost a quarter of recorded events have been classified by Acled as riots, compared with an average of less than 2% in previous protest waves. Acled said only the unrest following the 2023 shooting of Nahel Merzouk by French police in Nanterre recorded a higher proportion of riots.

It has also recorded more than 400 events involving arrests, compared with 138 during the 2023 French pension reform protests, however demonstrations in smaller towns have remained "largely peaceful".

Acled chief executive Prof Clionadh Raleigh, from the University of Sussex, said: "France has always been a country where people take to the streets.

"But the frequency, duration and level of confrontation we're recording now make this exceptional, even by its own standards."

BBC Verify has previously used Acled data to help track conflicts, including strikes carried out by the US, Israel, Iran and Iran-backed groups in the Middle East.

Beijing has warned its citizens visiting France to take safety precautions.

According to Chinese media reports, the country's foreign ministry has asked those visiting to closely monitor the local situation, strengthen their safety precautions and avoid "demonstration areas" where protests and riots are taking place.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany's foreign ministry updated its travel advice, urging its citizens to "exercise caution and avoid demonstrations wherever possible".

Voicing concern over demonstrations, the ministry said "violence has no place on the streets of our democracies".

Image source, Getty Images

Goods looted during protests over the weekend have been listed on certain selling platforms, two French government ministers have said.

The joint statement from Anna Le Hénanff and Serge Papin calls for the platforms to remove the listings and says the resellers will be prosecuted.

It says the ministers met with the platforms today alongside representatives from France's interior and justice ministries.

A Vinted spokesperson says the sale or solicitation of stolen goods is "strictly prohibited" and the platform has zero tolerance for it, with accounts found breaching rules having the potential to be permanently banned.

"Since this weekend, our teams have taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting, and we have stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings," it says.

The platforms says it is actively collaborating with law enforcement and French authorities, adding it is continually adapting its processes "to detect and counter emerging risks and malicious behaviour".