Last Saturday, a wave of unrest left about 3,000 French shops looted, cars burned and public buildings damaged, prompting Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to offer his resignation, a gesture President Emmanuel Macron rejected.
Nuñez announced on Monday that 70,000 officers, backed by 200 helicopters and 50 armoured vehicles, would patrol Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities, while the Louvre, Orsay, Picasso and Grand Palais were shut to protect cultural heritage.
A union‑organised march slated to run from Bastille to Nation was rerouted to the southeastern edge between Porte d’Italie and Porte de Vincennes, a change met with resistance from the Yellow Vests who vowed to ignore the order.
Authorities also used tear gas in Lyon to disperse demonstrators, while unions criticised the bans as violations of free expression. In Orléans, thousands marched against the far right, adding to a day of protests that tied living‑cost frustrations to political tensions.
The government plans to reassess security measures after the weekend’s demonstrations and will convene a cabinet meeting on Monday to decide whether curfews can be lifted.