A restaurant owner was in police custody on Thursday after he defied France’s coronavirus restrictions by inviting dozens of people to eat in a revolt against the government’s ban on the opening of cafes and other eateries.

The incident underscored the risks for President Emmanuel Macron as he weighs a third Covid-19 lockdown against growing frustration over curfews, work-from-home rules and other measures to curb the pandemic.

Christophe Wilson, 50, opened his restaurant “Poppies” in Nice on the Mediterranean coast on Wednesday for around 100 people who dropped their face masks to enjoy a Provencal stew and other specialities.

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