Live: French PM Lecornu to meet with unions ahead of new protests

Home Europe Live Issued on: 21/10/2026 - 02:45 France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu attends an Interministerial Crisis Meeting at the Interior Ministry in Paris, France, on October 19, 2026. © Julien De Rosa, AFP via AP After implementing curfews in cities across France to prevent a continuation of the weekend's violence and looting, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu prepared to meet with trade union organisations on Wednesday to discuss protest security and responses to the high school students who began the now nationwide protests. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Yesterday's key developments: • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused ultra-left radical groups of forging an "insurrectionary plan" that led to violent rioting over the weekend on the sidelines of nationwide protests over the cost of living. • Fresh curfews were imposed across the city centres of Paris and Lyon after the first quiet night since France’s most destructive rioting in years. • Lecornu said a “massive” security operation was planned for new protests Saturday, with the military set to reinforce the police force. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP) Keywords for this article