"What were they doing?": French riots, looting raise questions about police preparedness

On Air
Mike Hosking Breakfast

Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2026, 8:58am

A view of fire as streets across Paris show signs of damage following a day of violent clashes between police and protesters amid a nationwide mobilization over rising living costs, fuel prices, and education funding in Paris, France, on October 18, 2026. (Photo by Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Local Police have announced a curfew in parts of central Paris following violent protests across France.

In Nice a curfew has been put in place specifically for young people, with restrictions also in force in northern cities, including Lille.

It comes as widespread looting takes place across the country, with burnt out cars and shattered glass lining streets and more than two thousand businesses thought to be impacted.

Newstalk ZB's Catherine Field told Mike Hosking there are questions as to how police have been caught so off guard, and why they weren't monitoring social media.