PARIS, October 22 (Aalimi Nation) – French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday blamed ultra-left groups for the rioting that followed Saturday's nationwide demonstrations and said France would ban protests he described as "illegitimate" in the coming days.
Speaking from the Elysee Palace, Macron called the weekend violence "political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic". He said demonstrations organised by recognised bodies such as trade unions would still be allowed, but would have to follow alternative routes away from city centres to protect businesses. He added that he would convene the defence council on Friday.
Bans in four cities
The Paris Police Prefecture banned Thursday's protests in key parts of the capital until the evening. The restricted zones include the area around the Elysee Palace, both houses of parliament, the main railway stations and parts of the city centre where looting took place over the weekend. Rallies were also prohibited for Thursday in Lyon, Lille and Grenoble, and the Lyon ban extends to protests planned for Saturday.
A police source said the measures were needed because of what it called organisers' inability to prevent violence and vandalism.
Macron met intelligence services, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and ministers on Thursday morning to get a detailed account of what went wrong over the weekend and to review preparations for upcoming demonstrations.
What happened on Saturday
More than half a million people took part in protests across France on Saturday, according to the reported figures. Riots broke out in several areas, shops were looted and at least 2,500 people were arrested.
The movement began last month at a high school in Creteil, near Paris, where students protested over staff shortages. It spread through class strikes, blockades and demonstrations in the Paris suburbs and then to towns across the country. Students cite underfunded schools and dilapidated buildings, particularly in lower-income neighbourhoods. The protests have since widened to include anger over high energy and living costs and pressure on public services.
Government and unions
Lecornu, who met union representatives on Wednesday, said a "massive" security operation was planned for Saturday to prevent a repeat of the violence. He acknowledged that small groups of rioters had exposed shortcomings in the security response.
Union representatives said the meeting produced no concrete proposals. They are now focusing on a major day of action on November 5, calling on workers in the private and public sectors to join.
What to watch next
Thursday's restrictions are seen as a prelude to Saturday, when large crowds are expected again. Activists from the "yellow vest" movement, whose fuel-price protests shook France in 2018 and 2019, are expected to join. Officials fear another volatile weekend, and it remains unclear how broadly the promised ban on "illegitimate" protests will be applied, as the scope has been described differently in different accounts.
The defence council meeting on Friday is expected to set out further security steps. The government has not said which groups it considers to fall under the ban, and the opposition on the left has yet to respond in detail to the president's accusation.
