Armoured vehicles manned by France's military police force are being sent into the streets as the government takes special measures to contain a fourth night of rioting triggered by the police shooting of a 17-year-old driver, reports RFI.
French president Emmanuel Macron stopped short of declaring a state of emergency, but has called on parents to keep their children off the streets.
Macron said additional security forces would be deployed on Friday night. Denouncing the "unacceptable exploitation" of the teenager's death, he called on parents to take responsibility during the riots and on social media outlets to remove "sensitive" rioting content.
Following an emergency cabinet meeting, prime minister Élisabeth Borne announced that gendarmes – a law enforcement unit that is part of the French military – would be deployed in armoured vehicles.
Large public events will also be cancelled to allow security forces to focus on containing the unrest, she said.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that bus and tram services will be halted nationwide at 9pm from Friday and sales of large fireworks, which have been launched at police and buildings during the unrest, would be banned.
Regional prefects, who are in charge of security around the country, will also be asked to ban the sale and transport of petrol cans, acids and other inflammable liquids.
France's second-largest city, Marseille, has banned protests and will halt all public transport from 7pm onwards, local authorities said.
Borne had earlier said the government would consider “all options” to restore order.