PARIS, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The French government on Wednesday published a decree in its official gazette on the internet, declaring a state of emergency all over mainland France from 0:00 a.m. on Nov. 9 (2300 GMT Nov. 8).

    The publication of decree followed Tuesday's cabinet decision to invoke a 1955 emergency powers law, which gives local government officials, or prefects, power to declare curfews if they judge necessary.

    Under the law, local officials can "forbid the movement of people and vehicles in places and times fixed by decree" and ban "meetings likely to provoke or fuel disorder."

    The law also allows "house searches at any time of day or night" and to control "press and publications of all kinds," though Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told parliament Tuesday that this clause would not be resorted to.

    A second decree published in the official gazette listed around30 French departments, or regions, including the whole Paris region, where some clauses of the 1955 law apply. In these listed areas the interior minister can issue house arrest orders for people "whose activity is dangerous for public safety."

    The resorting to the emergency powers law came after 12 days of violence which left more than 6,000 cars burned. More than 1,500 people have been detained since the unrest began on Oct. 27 in northeast Paris where two teenagers were accidentally electrocuted while fleeing a police identity check. Enditem