France imposes curfews and closes Louvre after protest violence

The Louvre museum in Paris was closed Monday as France imposed curfews and cracked down on protest violence, with the government not ruling out a state of emergency after police reportedly "lost control." Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu vowed to restore order following weekend unrest that injured nearly 1,000 security forces and led to over 2,500 arrests. Partial curfews took effect Monday evening in Paris, Lille, and Lyon, with demonstrations banned from 8pm in the capital, while the US embassy warned citizens to avoid protests. The violence erupted from cost-of-living demonstrations that began with student demands, escalating into attacks on law enforcement, building fires, and looting that damaged at least 3,000 shops. The unrest comes six months before France's presidential election, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen polling strongly and the government accusing ultra-left groups of stoking violence. Interior minister Laurent Nunez offered his resignation, which President Emmanuel Macron refused, while other European nations like Spain, Portugal, and Belgium face similar protest pressures.