Synopsis
In response to riots and looting linked to public anger, France has arrested 2,700 individuals since Saturday. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to ban illegitimate protests in coming days. Authorities are preparing for further demonstrations which could severely disrupt events in major cities. While businesses are boarding up windows, a significant unrest reflects deeper economic issues in France.
APFrench police have taken 2,700 people into custody since Saturday in connection with riots and looting, Reuters reported citing Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, as authorities brace for further unrest across the country.
"Some 2,700 people have been taken into police custody since Saturday in connection with these riots and looting," Darmanin said in an interview with French news channel LCI.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests would be prohibited in the coming days. He blamed "seditious" ultra-left groups and vandals for last weekend's riots and looting.
Speaking after a meeting with intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, Macron said demonstrations organised by groups such as trade unions would be permitted, although authorities could divert them to alternative routes to protect businesses.
"Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic," he said.
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His remarks came as authorities across France prepared for fresh protests following some of the country's worst urban unrest in years.
Darmanin said he wanted voting rights to be suspended for people who violate bans on demonstrations. He also called for restrictions on social media access for those involved in violence, looting or attacks on police.
Authorities have banned all protests scheduled for Saturday in Marseille and Lyon, France's second- and third-largest cities. However, new demonstrations are already being planned ahead of a weekend that officials fear could turn volatile.
France's main student union, UNEF, has called for rallies on Saturday, while the Yellow Vest movement, an anti-establishment force that emerged in 2018, has submitted plans for a march through central Paris.
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Businesses in central Paris have started boarding up their shop windows in anticipation of possible violence. Luxury goods group Hermes said it had strengthened security at its stores across France.
Organisers of Art Basel Paris, an international art collectors fair being held in an exhibition hall in central Paris, said the event would remain closed throughout the weekend.
In the northern city of Orleans, authorities were preparing for possible unrest as the far-right National Rally prepared to hold its annual meeting, while unions and left-wing groups planned demonstrations.
A student protest scheduled for Thursday in Paris was initially banned but was later permitted to proceed. However, transit authorities shut metro stations in central Paris in anticipation of unauthorised gatherings.
PUBLIC ANGER
France was shaken by violence on the fringes of nationwide protests on October 17, exposing the extent of public anger and raising concerns about the ability of security services to maintain order.
Two people have been arrested in connection with an arson attack on the city hall in Limoges, according to French officials and media reports.
A third consecutive night of local curfews passed without major incidents in areas affected by the violence, giving the government some respite ahead of the weekend.
The unrest has also exposed deeper discontent in France, where rising energy costs, mounting pressure on household budgets and concerns about deteriorating public services have fuelled frustration among workers and younger people.
France's political class has meanwhile become embroiled in a bitter blame game, with the government accusing far-left political groups of fuelling the unrest.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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