French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday he had instructed prefects to impose "very limited" and "localised" curfews in cities affected by this weekend's riots, with the measures to take effect from tonight, Reuters and the Associated Press reported.

Lecornu, speaking after an emergency meeting with top officials, blamed the violence on what he described as the "ultra-left" and criminal elements, according to The Guardian's live coverage, and said that despite severe violence and extensive property damage on Saturday, no one was killed — which he called "a miracle".

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said he had offered his resignation, telling France Inter radio: "I submitted my resignation because I am responsible for everything that is happening."

President Emmanuel Macron's office said Macron refused the resignation "given the need for continued command of law enforcement in the current context", asked Nuñez to ensure full transparency about failures in planning and intelligence-gathering, and called for new policing tactics on the ground as quickly as possible, AP reported.

Nuñez acknowledged authorities had "lost control" in some major cities on Saturday, with hundreds of businesses looted. Authorities said about 2,400 people were arrested across France and nearly 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured during protests against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.

In Limoges, flames engulfed the 19th-century city hall, causing its roof to collapse; in Marseille, the prefect banned protests and gatherings from noon to 8pm on Monday.

Sources: Reuters, Associated Press (AP), The Guardian.