Authorities in Lyon, France’s third-largest city, have banned all demonstrations scheduled for Saturday following riots and widespread vandalism during protests last weekend.
The French news agency AFP reported the decision.
In a statement, the prefecture of the Rhône region, where Lyon is located, said: “As a result of the events of 17 October, the prefect has decided to ban all demonstrations in the city of Lyon this Saturday”.
A prefect is a senior government official responsible for administering a region or department in France.
Demonstrations have also been announced elsewhere in France for the coming Saturday. Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country. Protests that began peacefully over issues including the cost of living and conditions in schools escalated into riots, clashes with police and widespread vandalism.
In Lyon, Mayor Gregory Doucet said chaos had reigned for several hours during the protests. Between 150 and 200 shops were looted, and a tourist office was set on fire.
Nationwide, around 2,000 businesses were damaged. In Paris alone, between 300 and 400 businesses were vandalized, according to the French capital’s chamber of commerce.
France’s Ministry of the Interior said nearly 2,400 people were arrested during the demonstrations, while just under 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez subsequently acknowledged that police had lost control in several French cities during the unrest.
The demonstrations prompted Nunez to offer his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron. Macron refused to accept it, citing the need for “continued leadership of the police effort”.
