Marseille was cleaning up after demonstrations over living costs and public services, while authorities imposed an eight-hour ban on public gatherings Monday following a break-in at city hall.
France 24 reported that protesters dressed in black broke into Marseille’s city hall Saturday, Oct. 17, and left graffiti on the building. It said public buildings in other French cities were also targeted. Rubbish littered Marseille’s streets Sunday, Oct. 18, after the previous day’s demonstrations.
The Bouches-du-Rhône police prefecture barred public gatherings and demonstrations across Marseille from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. UTC) Monday, Oct. 19. The eight-hour Marseille gathering ban was separate from the partial curfews Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu directed prefects to introduce that evening.
The wider unrest also affected businesses. Commerce Minister Serge Papin said an initial estimate indicated that at least 3,000 shops may have been damaged or looted. Lecornu said ministers were developing a support fund and discussing faster insurance claims. Short-time work support for affected businesses is due to begin Oct. 20.
