Emmanuel Macron has accused far-left groups of "trying to overthrow the Republic" with "seditious acts" and has announced the ban on "non-union" demonstrations, amid fears of a new wave of chaos, looting, and violence in the protests scheduled for October 24.
Upon his return from his tour of the Middle East, heavily criticized for being absent from the country amid the explosive situation, the French president held an emergency meeting with his cabinet and convened the Defense Council for Friday. Hundreds of soldiers from the Operation Sentinel, created for the prevention of terrorism, will join on Saturday in the surveillance and protection of public buildings, while police forces will increase by 20% compared to October 17.
"It is evident that there were failures in forecasting and elements of surprise last Saturday and Sunday in certain cities," he acknowledged. "There were organized far-left groups that acted with extreme danger, great violence, and prior planning."
"In the face of criminal acts, we must show the utmost firmness, whatever their nature. "We have implemented curfews, there have been thousands of police arrests, and hundreds of people have been imprisoned. (...) Gatherings called by individuals who do not have legitimacy for it will be prohibited whenever possible. And demonstrations organized by unions will be supervised by the prefect and will follow alternative routes to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings."
Lyon was the first city to announce the ban on demonstrations on Saturday. Marseille effectively banned demonstrations last Monday after experiencing up to 30,000 acts of looting. However, the Paris prefecture announced the authorization of the demonstration called by the CGT union (backed by student unions and the yellow vests) between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation.
The mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, called for "maximum caution" from the population, while night curfews remain temporarily in place around Place de la République and Les Halles. Protecting businesses from vandalism and looting will be a top priority for the police this time.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met with mayors of major cities and summoned leaders of the main parties. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally and favorite for the 2027 presidential elections, boycotted the meeting. The leader of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, announced that he would go to "ruin the meeting," demand accountability, and demand apologies from the prime minister for blaming his party for the chaos in the streets.
Lecornu will meet on Monday with union leaders and organizations of high school and university students, teachers, and local authorities to address a "political solution" to the wave of protests against the precariousness of public education, which have expanded to demands regarding the cost of living and the price of fuel.