The day so far
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Partial curfews have been issued for a number of French cities, including parts of Paris, after the government admitted police had “lost control” during violent weekend protests around the country. An overnight curfew will come into effect from 11pm until 6am local time, for Place de la Republique and the streets around Les Halles in Paris. Authorities earlier issued the country’s first curfew the northern city of Lille and surrounding cities of Douai, Wattignies and Denain. Curfews were also announced in the southern cities of Nice (specifically for minors) and central Lyon, while Marseille, earlier announced independently that it had banned all gatherings and demonstrations on Monday.
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It came after France’s PM, Sébastien Lecornu, said after an emergency cabinet meeting that he was “fully resolved to restore public order” and had called for “local and partial” curfews if needed. There was “no question” of imposing a full curfew on entire cities, he said. Lecornu told reporters that if declaring a state of emergency was deemed necessary “we could do so”, but added that at this stage partial curfews seemed “more appropriate”.
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France’s interior minister conceded that police had “lost control” in some cities during Saturday’s protests and the president, Emmanuel Macron, demanded a full security review and “new operational methods” to end the rioting. Laurent Nuñez said there had been a “lack of anticipation” in preparations for the protests and acknowledged that police numbers had sometimes been inadequate to deal with rioters and looters on the fringes of the demonstrations. Nuñez said intelligence had suggested there would be 200,000 demonstrators around the country. In the event, there were more than half a million and peaceful protests were hijacked, morphing into one of France’s most violent days of unrest in recent years. Almost 2,400 arrests have been made.
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Nuñez said he had offered his resignation to Macron because he felt “responsible for everything that happened”, but the president had refused it, demanding instead that Nuñez “take all necessary steps to ensure transparency over planning and intelligence failures”. “You couldn’t look shopkeepers in the eye after hundreds of shops had been looted and say we hadn’t lost control,” the minister told French radio, but added that the responsibility of “rioters, looters and ultra-left militants” should not be glossed over.
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The original protests, led by students, teachers, parents, unions and workers, focused on the high cost of living, an issue that also prompted demonstrations in several other European countries including Italy, Belgium and Albania over the weekend.
Trump refuses to drop false immigration claim when asked about France protests
Ahead of leaving for a campaign rally in Wichita, Kansas, Donald Trump again claimed – without evidence – that the riots throughout France are due to mass migration.
“I told Emmanuel [Macron], you should close up your borders,” the US president said. “I’ve known him for probably eight or nine years. I told him as soon as I met him, I said, ‘you’re making a big mistake’. We closed our borders. He didn’t.”
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Analysis: Ferocious criticism from all sides underlines Macron’s isolation
in Paris
The near-universal chorus of condemnation that greeted Emmanuel Macron’s address to the nation on Sunday, after one of the most violent days of rioting and looting in France’s recent history, was a stark reflection of just how weakened he now is.
A month-long protest by high school pupils over crumbling and crowded classrooms converged with broader frustrations over soaring living costs, rapidly widening inequality and falling public spending, bringing together students, teachers, trade unionists and a resurrected gilets jaunes movement.
Those largely peaceful protests were swiftly hijacked by masked groups who torched vehicles, ransacked businesses and severely damaged public infrastructure, including setting fire to Limoges’ city hall and invading that of Marseille.
Macron acknowledged the “deep anxiety” of young people but offered no concrete policy initiatives, no cabinet reshuffle and no new public spending, merely telling his prime minister to organise consultations and asking opposition politicians to take a stand.
The response, across the political spectrum, was damning. The Greens’ leader, Marine Tondelier, said that rather than “even beginning to make any kind of mea culpa”, Macron was “summoning us to the PM’s office like pupils to the blackboard”.
On the far right, the National Rally’s Jordan Bardella called the speech “lamentable” and said Macron had “nothing left to say” to the French. The party’s figurehead, Marine Le Pen, said the country was “caught in a vice between violence and impotence”.
The centre-right’s Bruno Retailleau said Macron was “totally overwhelmed”, while on the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the president of relying on “inaction and police brutality” in doomed hopes that the protests would simply fizzle out.
Perhaps most damagingly, even Macron’s former prime minister Édouard Philippe said he would have preferred “decisions and initiatives that might lead to a return to order and the restoration of state authority … Our country needs to be governed.”
Criticism is to be expected from rivals positioning themselves six months before a presidential election to choose Macron’s successor. But its sheer ferocity underlines his isolation, the disdain in which he is held, and the anger he inspires.
It’s a structural trap that he has largely set for himself. Macron came to power in 2017 as a “Jupiterian” president – a deliberate strategy aimed at elevating the head of state above daily politics, projecting distant authority and technocratic brilliance.
But over nine years in the Élysée, that high-handed style – partly born, his critics say, of Macron’s complete lack of basic political experience as an elected official in a town hall or as a constituency MP – has morphed into perceived arrogance and detachment.
It has been compounded by catastrophic strategic errors, and France’s spiralling economic problems. Macron lost a functional parliamentary majority by refusing to meaningfully campaign between the presidential and legislative elections of 2022.
Two years later he dissolved the national assembly. That gamble backfired spectacularly, with voters returning an even more deadlocked parliament split between a divided left, a much-diminished centrist bloc and Le Pen’s far right.
Without a working majority, the government repeatedly resorted to controversial constitutional manoeuvres to force through laws without a parliamentary vote, laying it – and Macron – open to further accusations of democratic illegitimacy.
Compounding that institutional deadlock is a looming fiscal crisis. In decades gone by, French presidents facing mass protests on the streets could in effect buy a degree of social tranquility with targeted spending packages or public sector concessions.
But France’s national debt, at 119% of GDP, is at its highest level since 1946. Its budget deficit, at 5.1%, is also among the highest in the EU. There is just no money in the bank to ease the cost of living squeeze that brought 550,000 people on to the streets on Saturday.
The markets are worried: France’s borrowing costs are higher than Greece’s. And with few fiscal options, the government’s clearest response – in time-honoured French tradition – has been teargas and baton charges, sometimes against schoolchildren, further aggravating tensions.
The consequences for the presidential election could be profound. The centrist coalition built around Macron’s brand has all but collapsed. If the protests and violence persist, the main beneficiary will be the law-and-order champions of the far right.
Related: Ferocious criticism from all sides underlines Macron’s isolation
US advises Americans to avoid protest areas in France
The US state department has issued an alert warning Americans to avoid demonstration areas in major French cities after days of violent protests that have rocked the country.
The alert issued by the US embassy in Paris noted violent demonstrations on 17 October and the new curfews planned in cities including Lille and Paris.
“Avoid the areas of the demonstrations,” the warning said.
Justice minister Gérald Darmanin announced 2,513 people had been taken into custody and 67 people had been imprisoned since the violence that marred the demonstrations this weekend, Liberation reported.
Eleven people were arrested on Monday after disturbances at a shopping centre in Vaulx-en-Velin, near Lyon, BFMTV reported.
Here is the decree from the Paris police prefecture on the curfew which will be from 11 pm until 6am.
“The central median of the Place de la République” and “an area [...] delimited by the following squares and streets within it: Place Maurice-Quentin; Rue Berger from Place Maurice-Quentin to the corner of Boulevard Sébastopol; the section of Passage des Lingères that leads onto Rue Berger; Boulevard Sébastopol from the corner of Rue Berger to the corner of Allée André-Breton; Allée André-Breton.”
The prefecture clarifies that “residents who can prove, by any means, that their residence is located within the aforementioned areas, workers [...], members of the public emergency services, and shopkeepers are not subject to” the decree.
Demonstrations will also be prohibited from 8pm to 6am in other parts of the capital, such as Bastille, Châtelet, or near places of power like the Elysée, Matignon, the National Assembly and the Senate.
A curfew has also been announced in central Lyon, taking effect from Monday at 9pm local time until 6am on Tuesday.
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Eric Ciotti, the mayor of the southern French city of Nice, has also issued a curfew “to protect the people of Nice” starting from Monday evening 9pm local time to 6am. The curfew will remain in effect each night until Sunday, and will only apply to minors, he said.
According to Libération, only certain areas of the city are affected: the city center, Old Nice, the Trachel district, and the Gare du Sud (southern train station).
Here’s Ciotti’s social media announcement.
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French authorities announce curfew for some parts of Paris and other cities
French authorities have issued an overnight curfew, which will come into effect from 11pm until 6am local time, for Place de la Republique and the streets around Les Halles in Paris, according to Libération and France24.
The measure will apply to three categories of people: unaccompanied minors, people wearing personal protective equipment, and those concealing their faces.
Authorities had earlier issued the country’s first curfew to run for two days starting on Monday in the northern city of Lille and surrounding cities of Douai, Wattignies and Denain, France24 reported citing prime minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office.
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The prefect of the Nord department has issued an order imposing a curfew for minors starting at 8 p.m. local time in certain areas of the cities of Lille, Douai, Wattignies, and Denain.
“These orders are issued in close collaboration with the mayors concerned,” the prefecture said.
The Prime Minister’s office stated the measure is in effect for Monday and Tuesday nights, from 8pm to 6 am, Liberation reported.
In Coulaines, a town of 8,000 inhabitants near Le Mans, the mayor, Christophe Rouillon, also announced on Facebook that he would be implementing a curfew “in the evening for minors who go out alone ,” starting at 11 p.m. on Monday.
The right-wing mayor of a town in Maine-et-Loire has decided to fly the flags at the town hall at half-mast and remove the portrait of Emmanuel Macron following the demonstrations in France.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence and damage committed by those who flout our laws, vandalise our towns, and show contempt for the values of the Republic,” Frédéric Mortier, the mayor of Longué-Jumelles, said.
“France cannot accept that some refuse common rules, reject the requirements of integration and challenge the authority of the State,” he continued.
The mayor added that he had also decided “to take down the portrait of the President of the Republic in the town hall”, explaining that the attitude of the head of state “in the face of this situation is unworthy of the gravity of the events and the expectations of our fellow citizens”.
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France protests escalate with riots, looting and 2,400 arrests - podcast
Last weekend there were mass protests across France, with more than half a million people estimated to have been involved. The unrest included rioting, looting and violent clashes with outnumbered police in cities including Paris, Marseille and Limoges. The interior minister conceded that police “lost control” in some cities, while President Emmanuel Macron demanded a full security review.
For today’s instalment of The Latest podcast, Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Europe correspondent, Jon Henley:
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François Gatel, Minister for Territorial Collectivities, told the National Assembly there will be “the mobilisation of an exceptional fund to support the reconstruction of public facilities.”
He added it will be “a one-stop shop to support disaster-stricken communities” to coordinate and facilitate the process. The minister also promised regulatory “flexibilities” to ease the work.
Shops were looted and public buildings were set ablaze in cities across France over the weekend, as nationwide protests turned violent.
Four police officers were injured and a police station was vandalised in the Garenne district of La Roche-sur-Yon by “around sixty individuals dressed in black and wearing balaclavas” who fired fireworks and other projectiles, Liberation reported.
‘It looks like a war zone’: France reels as looting continues for second night
in Paris
Just before 1am on Monday morning, two motorbikes carrying one passenger each stopped at a traffic light on a backstreet near rue de Rivoli, one of central Paris’s busiest shopping streets.
“You’ve got to go where there are a lot of people, where they’ve done the shop windows,” said one motorbike rider to another. Minutes later 10 other men, their faces covered with ski balaclavas, came down the street on foot pursued by a police van.
Soon after Emmanuel Macron’s televised speech on Sunday night telling the nation it was “unbearable to see our streets ransacked”, groups of men looted shops in central Paris for hours for a second night running. Dozens of people attempted to smash windows near Les Halles shopping centre and grab goods. Others broke into an electrical shop in Belleville in the north of the city.
“Men were battering shop windows, trying to break in, then they were chased by police,” said a 73-year-old woman near Les Halles.
“There were different groups running everywhere with police chasing on foot or by car, and at the same time, some people were setting bins and bikes alight. The groups breaking into shops aren’t hostile to passersby so you’d see local residents walking down the street on their way home late at night, and masked teenagers running past in the other direction carrying looted goods. It’s so strange – it’s like two different universes in parallel worlds.”
She said:
“It says a lot about society – it shows we have neglected our education system and that we’re living in a consumer society where all we say to our young people is: ‘buy, buy, buy’. In this type of extreme capitalism, some people don’t have enough money to buy all of this and so they attack.”
Related: ‘It looks like a war zone’: France reels as looting continues for second night
Macron begins Gulf trip aimed at securing petrol, diesel supplies
Meanwhile, as France was busy cleaning up its streets, the country’s president Emmanuel Macron – who last night delivered an address to the nation on the events – arrived in Kuwait for a Gulf trip aimed at securing additional petrol and diesel supplies to bring down pump prices, Reuters reported.
During the trip, he is also visiting the United Arab Emirates.
Interior minister concedes police ‘lost control’ over looting
Europe correspondent
Over the weekend, several public buildings including a town hall were attacked and set ablaze and an estimated 2,000 shops were ransacked and looted, authorities have said. Nearly 2,400 people – 70% of them adults – were arrested and almost 1,000 police and gendarmes injured.
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said 60,000 police and other security forces had been deployed around the country, but acknowledged it had not been enough to control determined, organised groups of violent rioters in major cities including Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
“You couldn’t look shopkeepers in the eye after hundreds of shops had been looted and say we hadn’t lost control,” the minister told French radio, but added that the responsibility of “rioters, looters and ultra-left militants” should not be glossed over.
The justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, also said intelligence failings had left the state vulnerable. “There’s no good policing without good intelligence, he said, adding that many of those arrested had police records and “about 80%” were being prosecuted.
Related: French prime minister calls for ‘local and partial’ curfews after riots
Vinted, other platforms move to block resale of stolen goods after French riots
After widespread looting reported over the weekend, several reselling platforms – including Vinted – saw a sudden surge of new (and often heavily mispriced) listings from France, suggesting some sellers, erm, wanted to quickly dispose of some of their new belongings.
The French finance ministry is set to chair a round of talks with Vinted, Leboncoin, Cdiscount and other online platforms this evening to make sure they block such transactions.
Vinted said this afternoon that it is actively working with authorities to identify and prevent any attempt to resell stolen goods, adding that there is “zero tolerance” for such activity, according to a statement quoted by BFMTV.
France hit by debt sell-off as protests unnerve investors
Business reporter
France has been hit by a fresh wave of selling in its bond and stock markets after violent protests over the weekend left public buildings burned, hundreds of shops looted and thousands of arrests across the country.
Almost 2,400 people have been arrested in France, the interior ministry said on Sunday, with police deploying teargas in confrontations with protesters.
The chaos has spooked investors in France’s government debt, with the yield on its 10-year yield rising by 10 basis points to 4.89% on Monday. Yields rise when prices fall.
This widened the difference between the French and German 10-year borrowing costs – which is a metric for the risk premium attached to French debt – towards the highest levels seen in 14 years.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs said European sovereign risk was back in focus, with fiscal concerns about France raising the question of whether there could be a repeat of the eurozone debt crisis of 15 years ago.
“The risks of disorderly market escalation and real economy contagion look notably lower. But the fundamental fiscal challenges for some countries – especially in France – look harder now than in 2011-15,” the investment bank said.
“The issue of how to deal with fundamental sovereign risk remains unresolved in the Euro area, requiring credible fiscal consolidation,” the analyst added.
The two-year French bond yield rose by eight basis points to 3.63%.
Concerns about France’s instability knocked the euro down to a 17-month low against the pound on Monday morning, with sterling rising to €1.188.
Related: France hit by debt sell-off as protests unnerve investors
Trump repeats his baseless claims linking French protests with migration
Political reporter
On Truth Social today, Donald Trump has repeated his baseless claims that the riots sweeping France – which initially began as protests against deteriorating school infrastructure and an overstretched education system – are due to mass migration.
“The migrants have taken over France. They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!” Trump wrote on social media.
Worth remembering that French authorities have not linked the riots to immigrants.
Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands demonstrated throughout the country. However, chaos erupted at a number of protests, which saw buildings burned, hundreds of shops destroyed and looted and at least 2,400 people arrested.
French president Emmanuel Macron and the prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, have blamed the violence on “factious” ultra left-wing groups.
Updated
Several European governments tell travellers to France to avoid crowds, be cautious
Meanwhile, several European governments advised citizens travelling to France to avoid large crowds and exercise caution, warning of a deterioration in security conditions after thousands were arrested and shops looted in protests over the weekend, Reuters reported.
Italy said its citizens should register their presence in France on a website or an app to enable them to be located, as it warned them to avoid large crowds and exercise extreme caution.
The German foreign ministry said further riots in the coming days couldn’t be ruled out and urged German nationals to follow instructions from local police. It warned citizens that they could face fines or claims for damages if they failed to leave unauthorised demonstrations when asked to do so.
Czechs in France are advised to avoid demonstrations, marches and public gatherings, ČTK news agency reported. The security situation in France has deteriorated, according to the Czech foreign affairs ministry.
Poland said in its country guidance that visitors should avoid places where demonstrations are taking place, though there was no change to its overall guidance about whether France was safe to visit.
The Dutch government in an advisory last updated on 7 October warned travelers to France to avoid protests.
Similarly, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway have issued advisories urging their citizens in France to avoid demonstrations and follow the guidance of local authorities.
Albania's Rama accusses protesters of crossing 'a red line' after police station was set ablaze during protests
Albania has also experienced days of disturbances, and today prime minister Edi Rama has accused protesters of crossing a “red line” after a police station was set ablaze during anti-government demonstrations.
“Protests are a right, whereas violence is a crime; this red line must be drawn clearly at this critical stage of our democratic development,” AFP reports Rama said in a Facebook post.
About 300 people have been injured in the clashes, more than half of them police, according to the authorities. Petrol bombs were thrown into a police station and the interior ministry entrance on Sunday.
Updated
The British prime minister has added his voice to the chorus of politicians condemning the violence in France.
A spokesperson for Andy Burnham in Downing Street said “Clearly, the violence we’re seeing on the streets of France is unacceptable. While the power to protest is at the heart of democracy, this can never excuse violence.”
British nationals in France were told by the UK government to “follow local advice from the authorities” if they were concerned about the situation.
Two men self-reported to police after security fence damage at Leipzig airport
German police have said that two men turned themselves in after a security fence was damaged at the airport in the city of Leipzig.
The incident had sparked fears as it took place at the same airport where an attack with an explosives-laden drone happened in August, an incident German authorities attributed to Russia.
Authorities had been investigating how a gaping hole was cut into a fence around the airport. The two men say they lost control of the car and crashed through the fence, then left the scene of the accident and arranged for the car to be towed away. AP reports that German police say the car has been seized and the investigation is continuing.
Updated
Swedish centrist leader Thand Ringqvist tasked with leading exploratory talks on new government
As promised, we have an update from Sweden, with the Centre party’s Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist given a chance to lead talks about the new government in the country.
Thand Ringqvist welcomed the opportunity to lead the discussions and said she would look to progress the talks, but made it clear she had no intention of becoming the next prime minister.
She will try to break a deadlock among the four opposition parties that emerged with a theoretical majority in the new parliament after last month’s elections, but continue to disagree on the composition of the future government.
The Centre party has ruled out being in government with the Left, while the Left has demanded a place in government in return for its cooperation. Without an agreement, the opposition bloc would not have a majority in the new parliament.
Thand Ringqvist will have to report back on the progress of her talks – including any exploration of the so-called “middle option” of centrist parties - by the end of the week.
The move by the parliament’s speaker Andreas Norlén comes days after the Social Democrats leader and the September election winner Magdalena Andersson failed in her efforts to unite the opposition in the first attempt.
Outgoing prime minister Ulf Kristersson told Swedish broadcaster SVT it was the “logical” decision to give the theoretical opposition bloc another go at forming the next administration.
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EU condemns 'looting' in France, says right to peaceful protest 'must be protected'
The European Commission has condemned “unacceptable” acts of “arson, looting and attacks on people or public buildings” in France over the weekend, but stressed the right to peaceful protests was “a fundamental right … and must be protected.”
EU internal affairs spokesperson Markus Lammert said:
“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right in all democratic countries and must be protected. Those who demonstrate peacefully must not be conflated with those who commit violence. Arson, looting and attacks on people or public buildings are unacceptable.
We support the efforts of the French authorities to protect people, property and public institutions in full respect of fundamental rights.
It is national authorities that are competent for law enforcement matters, and investigations are currently ongoing at national level.”
Lecornu blames 'ultra-left' and criminals for exploiting protests
French PM Lecornu says he has asked prefects to implement “a number of partial curfews” in certain “localised” urban areas to stop further disorder, which he attributes to “the extreme-left” and some criminal elements.
We will no doubt hear more on this from local authorities, as in the example of Marseille (10:32).
He also says the government is determined to respond to the events as needed, and if declaring a state of emergency is deemed necessary, they would do so – but that’s a major decision to make and currently not being considered.
He says be believes “there is an agenda of chaos being pushed by the far-left,” with the intention of disrupting next year’s presidential election, and that’s why he urges the NR leaders to attend his briefing later today, despite their plans no to do so (12:20).
Lecornu also says that there will be a “strong” response from the country’s judiciary, cracking down on the violence and crime on the margins of the protests. Investigators are also looking through social media footage, where rioters often did not wear masks.
New measures to stop riots from reoccurring will be put in place starting tonight, but tomorrow’s football game between PSG and Barcelona is currently scheduled to still go ahead.
He also says that furlough measures for businesses affected by riots will kick in on Tuesday to ensure all jobs are saved despite any disruption to business operations in the build up to the busy Christmas period.
He says there will also be further targeted measures, but with little detail at this stage.
Separately, the government will also push to expedite various assessments required to pay out any insurance claims.
Lecornu also says that the right to legitimate protest needs to be safeguarded and considered separately from the riots and clashes with police forces.
Updated
French PM briefing media after crisis meeting on protests
French PM Lecornu is speaking now.
Let’s listen in.
We are expecting to hear from France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu later today, but he is currently chairing an emergency meeting on the events of the weekend.
Party leaders will also meet with the PM to discuss the political fallout from the protests.
Curiously, the far-right National Rally party will not be represented neither by its presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, nor its prime ministerial candidate, Jordan Bardella, but a more junior figure, media reported.
In the meantime, Paris prosecutor said at least 145 people were still in custody following “various acts of vandalism, looting and attacks on law enforcement,” as reported by Le Figaro.
Italy's Meloni to hold crisis talks after clashes with police in Milan, Turin, Bologna
in Rome
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni will hold a crisis meeting with top security officials on Monday after two days of ransacking and looting in Milan allegedly perpetrated by gangs of hooded youths.
The unrest began on Saturday on the fringes of a protest against the rising cost of living. There were also clashes between police and protesters in Turin and Bologna.
In Milan, more than 200 were detained by police, allegedly responsible for ransacking shops and smashing windows, including in the area surrounding the city’s Duomo. According to reports in the Italian press on Monday, 80% were minors, with many responding to appointments made on social media and sharing selfies as they bragged about the damage caused.
They were not believed to have been affiliated with any political party or organised groups or movements.
Meloni said on Saturday that the perpetrators were “thugs who exploit demonstrations to spread chaos, attack those who guarantee security, and hold entire cities to hostage”.
“To demonstrate is a right. To lay our cities to waste is not,” she wrote on X.
During her more than four years in power, Meloni has enacted tough security measures, including against peaceful protesters.
In July, her cabinet approved so-called “anti-maranza” legislation in response to a rise in child gangs and youth delinquency in city centres. “Maranza” is a slang term used to describe gangs of delinquent youths, usually coming from suburban areas.
Opposition politicians often accuse the government of using security as a propaganda tool, arguing that Italy’s leaders do little to address core issues such as education, housing and living conditions in marginalised areas.
More protests in France planned for coming weeks
There are no signs of French protests stopping anytime soon: the yellow vest movement, de gilets jaunes, has just announced a “second act” of protests for upcoming Saturday, 24 October – and then again a week after that, too.
The idea is to “keep the momentum going” until another major demonstration planned for 5 November, a group member told AFP.
Updated
Protesters block Louvre entrances in Paris as they back student campaign
Protesters blocked entrances to the Louvre museum in Paris in support of a nationwide high school student protest movement and to denounce “police repression”, the museum’s management and unions told AFP.
The museum could not open as scheduled because of a protest led by students from the Ecole du Louvre, management said. A leaflet displayed outside the museum read: “We are proud to announce that we are blocking the world’s largest museum.”
Marseille bans public gatherings, demonstrations today
Back to France, the authorities in Marseille have just issued a ban of any public gatherings and demonstrations “throughout the entire commune” from midday to 8pm.
Zelenskyy confirms no intelligence on overnight attacks, says US 'in denial' about Russia's position
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to the latest wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine, confirming Ukraine had no prior warning from the US and seemingly accusing Washington of being in the state of denial about the reality of the war.
“Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no early warning from our partners,” he said.
“They again targeted energy facilities and infrastructure, but a medical clinic, a school, a metro station, and ordinary residential buildings were also damaged.”
Showing growing frustration with the attacks and continued criticism from US president Donald Trump, he said:
“Ukraine never wanted this war, and we have welcomed literally EVERY attempt by our partners to bring this war to a dignified end. We have responded positively to EVERY ceasefire proposal. Russia’s response, time and again, has been ballistic missiles, “shaheds,” and killings.
Putin not only doesn’t want to end this war – he doesn’t even want to take any steps toward de-escalation. EVERY ONE of our partners has experienced this firsthand when they heard Russia’s refusals.
And it is crucial to call things what they are. To call the aggressor an aggressor and help Ukraine defend lives. When deliveries of missiles for Ukraine’s air defence are blocked while Russia is granted relief or delays in sanctions, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality on the part of our partners.
The reality is that the war continues, and it continues solely because of Russian strikes and Russia’s desire to drag this war out.”
Police clashes with protesters as protests spread to Italy, as fuel, fresh food shortages also hit south
in Palermo
Italian police also clashed with protesters who threw stones and looted shops in Milan on Sunday during demonstrations over the rising cost of living, as lorry drivers blocked roads across southern Italy in protest at soaring fuel prices linked to the war in Iran.
Footage showed police in riot gear firing teargas and using water cannon after several hundred hooded protesters smashed shop windows and set bins alight in the area around Piazza del Duomo in central Milan.
The clashes echoed scenes of violence in neighbouring France, where hundreds of thousands of people angered by rising living costs and declining public services took to the streets on Saturday in some of the country’s most violent protests in years.
Meanwhile, lorry drivers have caused widespread disruption across southern Italy, blocking major roads and creating huge traffic jams in Sicily, Puglia and Calabria in protest at the mounting financial pressure on the haulage industry.
Hundreds of petrol stations have run out of fuel, while supermarkets are beginning to report shortages of several products, particularly fresh food. Pharmacies have also been affected, raising concerns about disruption to essential supplies.
“We are asking the government to urgently convene a meeting with industry associations. Otherwise, we will consider a nationwide strike,” said Pasquale Russo, president of Conftrasporto, an association representing Italian haulage companies.
“The situation is very concerning because the excessive price increases affecting the haulage industry have created a highly tense situation among transport companies, leading to spontaneous protests in some areas of the country,” he added.
In several parts of southern Italy, petrol stations have run out of both petrol and diesel, with motorists facing long queues at the few filling stations still operating. The road blockades have also caused extensive traffic disruption, with fears growing that prolonged protests could further disrupt supplies of food, fuel and other essential goods.
Morning opening: Macron declines offer of interior minister's resignation after weekend riots
French president Emmanuel Macron has declined interior minister Laurent Nuñez’s offer to resign after widespread riots over the weekend, despite “failures in anticipation and intelligence” that were deemed to worsen the crisis engulfing the country.
Macron said Nuñez should stay to ensure a chain of command is retained within the police and security forces, and has also asked Nuñez to set up as quickly as possible new approaches to deal with looters, the Élysée Palace added, quoted by Reuters.
Macron has asked the minister to “put in place new operational methods for security forces” to get a grip over the crisis.
Saturday, one of the most violent days of unrest in years, left public buildings burned, hundreds of shops destroyed and looted and at least 2,400 people arrested in cities across the country.
In a TV interview on Monday, Nuñez admitted that the police “lost control” in some cities during the protests.
In an address to the nation last night, Macron criticised “unbridled violence”.
“Watching these images, we have all asked ourselves how could French people do this to France?” he said.
Related: Macron criticises ‘unbridled violence’ after days of unrest and 2,400 arrests across France
I will bring you more updates on this today.
Separately, I will also be keeping an eye on Ukraine, after another night of heavy attacks by Russia killing at least one and injuring eight people, and with conflicting reports about whether Kyiv authorities had been warned about the strikes.
We should also get an update from Sweden, as the parliament’s speaker is set to decide on the next step in the government formation process there.
I will bring you all the key updates here.
It’s Monday, 19 October 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
