French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has not ruled out imposing a state of emergency in the country - amid mass unrest. He told journalists this.
According to the head of government, the matter is serious, including from the point of view of implementation, and if necessary the authorities obviously could take such a measure. At the same time, Lecornu noted, at the present moment a curfew seems to him more suitable for the current situation.
The prime minister announced partial restrictions on presence in the central districts of certain cities earlier the same day. They will take effect this evening. Lecornu did not disclose other details.
On Saturday mass actions took place in France. People took to the streets to express dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living and price increases. The total number of participants was 550,000 people.
The demonstrations were accompanied by fierce clashes with law enforcement, unrest, pogroms and vandalism. To disperse the protesters, police used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon. The number of those detained reached almost 2,400, and 997 security personnel were injured.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez acknowledged that the situation had got out of control: the number of police officers turned out to be disproportionate to the number of people on the streets. The minister took full responsibility for what happened and even submitted his resignation, but President Emmanuel Macron did not accept it.