Lecornu announced the measure after a crisis meeting on Monday, giving mayors the power to impose curfews “where they need” them. He did not specify which cities would be affected.
Marseille, France’s second-largest city, has already announced a ban on public gatherings from noon to 8 p.m. local time.
Lecornu also said the government would allocate funds to help affected areas recover from the damage, with the costs ultimately recovered from those responsible for the violence.
“There will be a law that will be put in place to find ways of making sure that those who have damaged properties will have to pay,” the prime minister said, according to Press TV.
More than 2,000 shops and other businesses were directly affected by the weekend’s violence, according to Alain Di Crescenzo, head of France’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI). He estimated the damage at “hundreds of millions of euros.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said around 200 investigators were examining CCTV footage in an effort to identify those who may have organized the violent protests.
Nunez attempted to resign on Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron rejected his resignation, citing “the need for continued command of law enforcement,” according to the Elysee Palace. Nunez acknowledged that police had “lost control” in some cities.
The nationwide demonstrations drew students demanding better conditions in France’s education system, alongside residents protesting the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services.
More than half a million people took to the streets on Saturday. In cities across the country, looting, arson and vandalism were reported, while masked protesters reportedly targeted town halls, police stations and other government buildings.
Official figures put the number of injured law enforcement officers at nearly 1,000, while around 2,500 people were arrested.
The government’s handling of the unrest has drawn criticism from local leaders, including the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Limoges.
The weekend’s violence followed weeks of student protests over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and chronic underinvestment in education. The demonstrations have grown into the country’s biggest youth-led protest movement in recent history.
MNA