Macron: only trade union marches will be allowed in France on Saturday, other protests to be banned
After last week's riots, the French president said the general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations, and prefects will ban those not organised by unions wherever possible.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that only demonstrations organised by trade unions would be allowed on Saturday, 24 October, when a new national day of protests is planned. Other protests will be banned wherever possible, he said, a week after demonstrations on 17 October were followed by looting and rioting.
"For the coming days, and in particular Saturday, the general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations," Macron said after a meeting with intelligence chiefs and ministers, AFP reported. "Those who want to continue to demonstrate, when they are trade union organisations, will have alternative routes proposed by the prefects. When they're not union organisations, wherever possible, they'll be banned." The alternative routes are meant to protect city centres, shops and public buildings.
Macron blamed last week's violence on what he called "political and even seditious acts" organised by far-left groups, the BBC reported. He was due to chair a defence council on Friday morning to take "additional decisions", and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will meet school, student, teacher, union and employer organisations on Monday.
In Paris, police said the CGT-backed march from Bastille to Nation could go ahead, while a route from Bastille to Opéra planned by the student collective Interfac would be banned. In Marseille, all protests were banned for Saturday and public transport will be suspended from 5am Saturday to 5am Sunday. Paris also extended its night curfew around République and Les Halles until Monday.