France Imposes Local Curfews After Riots

France is imposing limited, localized curfews after weekend protests over rising living costs and poor conditions in schools escalated into rioting, arson and looting in several cities. Authorities said more than 2,400 people were arrested and about 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted; Marseille also banned gatherings for much of Monday. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a state of emergency remained an option but that targeted curfews were more appropriate for now, and promised support for affected businesses. President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s resignation and ordered officials to examine planning and intelligence failures and rapidly adapt policing tactics. The unrest has intensified political blame over the government’s handling of the crisis as France approaches a presidential election.