France's government introduced local curfews this week after a weekend that saw demonstrations over the cost of living turn into looting and vandalism in parts of the country. The French prime minister said the curfews were meant to prevent further unrest, telling reporters the disruption would not be allowed to continue.
The unrest followed demonstrations that combined student grievances with broader frustration over living costs. In Paris, protesters also blockaded entrances to the Louvre museum. Shopkeepers in affected areas described difficulty recovering from the damage, and in Milan, Italy, several luxury stores closed as a precaution amid concerns that similar unrest could spread, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
The disruption has had a visible effect on financial markets. France's CAC 40 stock index has lagged its European peers this year, a trend that analysts have tied in part to political volatility and the social unrest, with the index falling again on Monday ahead of Tuesday's session.
France has periodically seen large-scale protest movements over living costs and economic policy in recent years, and the government's curfew order marks an effort to contain the latest round before it spreads further. Officials have not announced how long the curfews will remain in place.
Watch whether the curfews calm the unrest in the coming days, and whether the CAC 40's underperformance versus other European markets continues.
What triggered the unrest?
Demonstrations over the rising cost of living, combined with student protests, turned into looting and vandalism over the weekend.