Speaking in Marseille on 26 October, President Emmanuel Macron said the government will announce “strong measures” after weeks of protests that turned violent in several French cities, while acknowledging students’ “legitimate” demands.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, 26 October, that his government will announce “strong measures” in response to weeks of protests that have shaken France, some of which descended into violence and looting in several major cities. Speaking in Marseille, where the Élysée said he would thank the security forces that helped restore order after protesters briefly stormed the city hall on 17 October, Macron admitted that the authorities had “not anticipated at all” the scale of the demonstrations. BBC reporting has documented clashes with police, looted shops in Paris and severe damage to the city hall in Limoges.
According to the president, curfews helped maintain relative order during nationwide protests on Saturday, 24 October, when authorities deployed 70,000 police officers and made 1,435 arrests, figures reported by DW. The BBC separately reported more than 1,300 arrests as clashes followed another day of mass protests. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said organised nationalist groups had arrived in formation to confront left-wing activists in cities such as Nice and Montpellier, while Macron blamed social media for drawing people to places where looting and attacks were taking place, calling the platforms “tools for mobilising the worst impulses.”
Macron also said he had instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government to respond to “the legitimate demands that lie at the root of this social movement,” promising “concrete and huge” measures on education and university admissions after consultations with high school and university student representatives. Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said a return to calm was a prerequisite for social dialogue. With new demonstrations planned for Saturday, 31 October, Macron described them as “risky” and said protest routes would be kept outside city centres, while Nuñez warned that Halloween evening was expected to be “complicated again.” The specific measures have not yet been announced.
