French authorities ban some student protests after weekend looting, clashes

PARIS — Dozens of protesters took to the Paris streets on Thursday despite bans on demonstrations ordered in multiple French cities following a weekend of clashes and widespread looting that marked France’s most violent unrest in years. Organizers of the Paris protest said an administrative court in the city overturned a ban issued by police. The Paris police prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend. The Paris court ruling was not immediately made public. More bans were expected in the coming days. French President Emmanuel Macron said such measures aim to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings. The right to demonstrate in France is protected by the French Constitution, and the ban on demonstrations planned for Thursday in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble was seen by some as an infringement on French people’s right to protest. High school and university student groups said they will continue to mobilize, even though the autu