Nighttime curfew in Paris and other areas; security measures in limited areas - France

[Paris Current Affairs] A nighttime curfew was imposed on the 19th in some major cities, including the capital of France, Paris. The aim is to put a stop to the deterioration of security, which has seen repeated arson and looting by mobs in the wake of the large-scale demonstrations on the 17th. However, the prohibited areas are limited, and it is unclear how effective it will be.

France imposes nighttime curfew in some cities to ``protect people and property'' from demonstrators - French Prime Minister

Outside of Paris, nighttime curfews have been imposed in central Lyon, where the tourist information center was set ablaze in an arson attack, Nice in the south, Bordeaux in the southwest, and Lille in the north, where the city hall was vandalized. The measures taken until the morning of the 20th (afternoon of the same day, Japan time) had narrowed the target to minors in Lille, Nice, and Bordeaux. Restrictions will continue in the three cities after the 20th.

On the other hand, the only restricted areas in Paris are the Les Halles area, the downtown area, and Place de la République, where young people gather. Separate zones have been set up to restrict demonstrations, but Ariel Beil, the mayor of Wards 1 to 4, which has suffered the most damage, said on television on the 19th, ``I'd rather send in the military than see another round of looting,'' calling for strong government intervention.

In response, Prime Minister Le Cornu said, ``If you saw it on TV, you would imagine chaos everywhere, but fortunately that is not the case.'' With the situation concentrated in the center of the city, he urged a calm response, saying, ``It is impossible to impose a nighttime curfew across all of Paris.''