France Expands Curfews as Police Face Scrutiny Over Student Protests

French authorities have expanded nighttime curfews and prepared a major security deployment as protests over education and living costs spread across the country, while allegations of police violence against teenagers intensify scrutiny of law enforcement. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said additional forces would be deployed for demonstrations scheduled for Saturday, following days of riots, mass arrests and reports of serious injuries among young protesters.

According to NPR, Paris and Lyon renewed restrictions in central areas after the first quiet night since the country's most destructive rioting in years. Marseille introduced a nighttime curfew for unaccompanied minors beginning Tuesday, while Paris police said restrictions around Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district would remain in effect for as long as necessary.

The measures followed nationwide clashes on Saturday, when at least 2,400 people were arrested after demonstrators confronted police, set vehicles on fire and attacked public buildings. French officials attributed the destruction to far-left groups and opportunistic looters, while student organizations and groups associated with the yellow vest movement called for further demonstrations.

Lecornu told the National Assembly that the security operation planned for Saturday would be extensive. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said soldiers participating in the Sentinelle counterterrorism operation would guard sensitive sites, allowing police officers and gendarmes to concentrate on crowd control.

The government has also faced growing criticism over officers' treatment of minors during the demonstrations. Al Jazeera reported that several teenagers suffered serious injuries, including a 17-year-old identified as Enzo, who required hospital treatment and stitches after being struck with a baton, and a 14-year-old identified as Eden, whose jaw was reportedly shattered by a tear-gas grenade fired at close range.

Another teenager, identified as Mael, 16, lost vision in her right eye after being struck by a projectile fired from a police launcher, according to Al Jazeera. Lawyers representing the young people accused officers of using excessive force and escalating confrontations rather than reducing tensions.

Enzo described the psychological impact of his encounter with police.

"I am still traumatised. Instead of protecting us, they are attacking us," Enzo said.

Ainoha Pascual, a lawyer at the Paris Bar, argued that the alleged injuries could have lasting consequences for relations between young people and the state.

"They are losing a generation," Pascual said.

She added that the government's approach was intended to discourage participation in demonstrations through fear of serious injury.

Mathilde Lante, Enzo's lawyer and a member of the Collective for Legal Action, said the allegations were particularly troubling because the people involved were minors.

"Within this social movement, this is unprecedented, especially considering that these are all minors," Lante said.

French authorities have defended their response, citing injuries among law enforcement personnel and insisting that officers must use proportionate force. Interior Ministry figures reported by Al Jazeera showed that nearly 6,900 people had been placed in police custody since the student protests began, with 86 percent of them minors. The French police watchdog, IGPN, had opened 36 investigations into alleged misconduct.

The government has also intensified judicial action against people accused of participating in the unrest. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 149 people had been jailed nationwide by noon Tuesday. More than 800 of those arrested since Saturday had been referred to prosecutors, according to the Justice Ministry, with many facing immediate trials or later court appearances.

Darmanin said he had asked prosecutors to challenge sentences they considered too lenient.

"People with no criminal record ending up in prison for property crimes is extremely rare, if not unheard of," Darmanin said.

He said the justice system would respond firmly to the violence. In Lille, three men aged 20 to 25 with no criminal records received 10-month prison sentences and were jailed immediately for looting a video game store, according to NPR.

France's National Assembly is launching an inquiry into the violence of October 17 and the authorities' policing strategy, with findings expected by the end of the year, parliamentary speaker Yaël Braun-Pivet said.

The unrest has also renewed debate over police conduct during earlier movements, including the yellow vest protests that began in 2018 over fuel prices and the 2023 riots following the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in Nanterre. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly raised concerns about excessive force and restrictions on the right to protest.

Despite the curfews and arrests, demonstrations continued on a smaller scale Tuesday. Approximately 400 people, mostly high school and university students, marched in Rennes, while around 750 demonstrated in Lyon, according to NPR.