Heading to France? Amid Recent Unrest, Heres What to Know

Anti-government demonstrations across France escalated into widespread violence over the weekend, as thousands of protesters clashed with police, set municipal buildings and cars on fire, and ransacked storefronts.The unrest, which began last month as largely peaceful, student-led protests over the quality of the public education system, spiraled into the country’s worst rioting in decades, with more than 2,000 arrests and nearly 1,000 police officers injured, according to the French Interior Ministry.To reassert control, authorities issued curfews in parts of several cities on Monday, including Paris, Nice and Lille.More demonstrations have been planned over the next two weeks.

Here’s what you need to know if you plan to travel to France soon.What parts of France have been affected?Paris became the epicenter of demonstrations over the weekend, with major clashes and rioting at Place de la République and surrounding avenues.Many of the shops across Les Halles were looted and vandalized, while the Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde became flash points for standoffs between the police and protesters.Marseille, France’s second-largest city and a popular tourist destination, also saw significant unrest, with protesters breaking into City Hall and ransacking the building, leaving graffiti and knocking over the bust of Marianne, a symbol of the French Republic.

In response, authorities banned public gatherings in the city between noon and 8 p.m.In Lyon, tens of thousands of protesters marched through the city on Saturday, and some set fire to the city’s tourism office.Other major cities like Bordeaux, Lille, Calais and Limoges also experienced violence and damage to public buildings.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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