French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu credited localized overnight curfews in Paris and other major cities for providing a measure of calm after intense nationwide protests that have seen thousands arrested and sustained violent clashes between demonstrators and police.

Nighttime curfews went into effect on Monday night in cities including Paris, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon as French police sought to combat rioting and looting associated with the recent protests.

The curfews came in response to protests over the weekend which devolved into the worst rioting seen in France for several years, with some demonstrators targeting businesses and government buildings while protesters accused the police of using excessively violent tactics.