France riots latest - curfews imposed in Paris and other cities after days of violent disorder

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Curfews have been imposed in some French cities and towns in a bid to stop the violent disorder that rocked the country over the weekend. The prime minister, Sebastian Luka, said the government was prepared to declare a state of

emergency if necessary, and that criminal charges would be brought against the vast majority of the more than 2,000 people arrested. Hundreds of police officers were injured, 2,000 shops damaged when protests against the cost of living and deteriorating public

services descended into rioting and looting. And it all comes as France prepares for the presidential election in just six months time. From Paris, our Europe editor Kasha Adler reports. How did France end up like this at the weekend?

Student protests hijacked by rioters. Lutters taking full advantage. The police here illprepared and seemingly out of their depth. France's interior minister offered his resignation, but President Mhorn told him to stay in his post. The failure stemmed in part

from a lack of foresight regarding the available forces. We deployed all the mobile forces that were available in the area, as well as a great many police officers. There's government talk here of new policing methods, powers for local

governments to impose curfews, and a promise that images on social media will be analyzed and those responsible for violence brought to justice. As for the students, there have been accusations by France's prime minister, amongst others, that anti- capitalist

politicians weaponized their protests. I've come to Sanden suburb to ask an organizer of the protests. Lisa told me students organized themselves via social media messaging or through studentled organizations and that it was insulting to suggest they were being

manipulated by politicians. But the scenes of chaos this weekend fast became political, especially with France's presidential election just six months away. And while ordinary people here worry about public safety and the next mass demonstration, the leaders of political

parties here seem to them racked up in a blame game, fingerpointing at opponents and rivals for the presidency. Nationalist presidential candidate Marin Le Pen posted a very presidential looking address on social media on Sunday. We have a Macon

le government that's running out of steam, she said, adding that in six months, French people could choose a different path. Her party has also blamed migrants and the hard left for Saturday's violence, something its presidential candidate denies. Meanwhile,

2,000 businesses across France are picking up the pieces of their shattered shops and livelihoods. Passers by tell us they feel a bit abandoned. Our politicians don't listen to what we need and what protesters are really calling for. They're

too wrapped up in political campaigning. With the clear up from the violence not even over, fresh demos are already being talked about for this weekend. Trade unions gather on the streets early next month. France feels really tense. Katya

Adler, BBC News, Paris. In the south of France, in Marseilles, the second biggest French city, public gatherings and demonstrations have been banned since this morning as a clearup begins after a weekend of violence and looting. Nick Bick has

the latest from there. An already divided France under even more strain. On the left, the protesters view in Marseilles this weekend. On the right, footage filmed by the police trapped inside their van. a battle for law and order

in a fight for the future of the country. The intensity of the violence 6 months before a general election has shocked many here in France's second city. One police union told us they were stunned at how effectively young

people from the deprived suburbs latched onto the mayhem that far-left agitators had created. The black blocks provoked and the youngsters took advantage to start looting and that created chaos with police officers running right, running left and as a

result we got overwhelmed. More than 600 shops were looted on Saturday in Marilles, leaving a massive clearup as well as questions about the lasting consequences of this disorder. It tugs at your heartstrings. Grandmother Shantal Balon tells us to

see children whose actions are going to place them completely outside of society. It's sad. It's been police rather than protesters we've seen on the streets of this city today. During daylight hours, there was a ban on any sort

of demonstration and gathering. The authorities here say the violence we saw at the weekend went simply too far and it can't happen again. 18-year-old students Jade and Mariam, who were on the streets when the violence erupted around them,

argue their generation must push their protest to the limit. There's more violence here. Do you think that's justified or do you want it to absolutely stop? Uh actually I think that it's a very complicated question like uh if

violence is legit but the thing is France our history is really based on revolution and uh sometimes we really have to uh make a really big impact but that's right that sometimes it goes too far. Ma, a city

whose very name lent itself to the national anthem of France. A country still cherishing its revolutionary past, but far less certain of the shape of its future. Nick Beak, BBC News, Marseilles. And it's not just in France. People

took the streets across Europe over the weekend. Some peaceful protest took place in Spain and Portugal. But in Milan, police fired tear gas after several hundred hooded and masked protesters broke shop windows and set bins on fire in

the area near the central pat. In Belgium, several hundred people clashed with police during protests in Brussels and Leesge. And in Albania today, there have been violent protests for a seventh day. Riot police used water cannon, tear gas,

and rubber bullets to disperse anti-government demonstrators in the capital Tana. From there, Nick Thorp reports. Day seven of the clashes in Albania. Protesters attempted to break into the appeals court building in Tana. This began as a protest against

perceived government corruption and the deep poverty which has forced half the population to immigrate. It's turned into a determined radicalized movement to oust Prime Minister Eddie Rama. The corruption is on levels unseen unseen in any other state of

the world. It's been 14 years that Edama is in power. There's like thousands of reasons. First of all, we live in the poorest country of Europe with the highest prices. We can barely make it to the end of

the month. And lots of students, they live in miserable conditions. Protesters reigned stones and petrol bombs on police who charged them repeatedly using armored vehicles equipped with water cannon. The protesters here behind me are breaking off cobblestones to

throw at police. They blame everything on the prime minister and say they won't stop until he resigns. But he won't budge and the mayhem continues. This morning, the embattled socialist prime minister addressed police chiefs, including one who appeared

injured in the current clashes. There can be no negotiation with anyone who uses this because the moment the state negotiates with this, it's fallen. He called those using violence terrorists. There have already been hundreds of arrests. Justice is

meated out instantly with trials the next day. Tonight, the police seem in no mood to let the protesters get the upper hand. Nick Thorp, BBC News, Tana. Well, Katya Adler is in Paris for us this evening. So, Katya,

the protest that began peacefully in France are spreading to other countries in Europe. Is there any sense of how far this could go? Well, there's no way really of predicting that, Fiona, but there are certain common factors that

could push more people out onto the streets in Europe. First of all, the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services when people are paying taxes, really high taxes here in France, and expect a certain bang for their

buck. But there's something else as well and that is an increasing sense of powerlessness that Europeans feel over their own destiny. I mean when you have wars in the Middle East or in Ukraine that are pushing up energy

prices at home, what can be done about it? Others worry about migration and they think if we take to the streets in big numbers, maybe our concerns will be heard. But there are also big national differences. We heard

there from Albania, you know, allegations of government corruption. And here in France, a power vacuum as President Mcon comes to the end of his term. He's literally absent at the moment on a tour around the Gulf. While there

is a crisis at home and there is this hotly contested race to replace him, feeding into the febral atmosphere. That's why we have curfews in place in parts of France tonight, including parts of Paris as well to try

and avoid more trouble. But importantly, that distinction between the violence we saw at the weekend and angry but peaceful protests about real issues that people feel that here in France show no sign of stopping.