PARIS: Companies, cultural events, and museums in France plan to close at the beginning of the week despite the restrictions imposed on demonstrations, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to restore order after a week of nationwide protests that turned into violence. The National Union of Students of France (UNEF) has called for gatherings tomorrow, Saturday, while the Yellow Vests movement, which opposes traditional institutions and emerged in 2018, has submitted a request this week to organize a protest in central Paris.
Macron is scheduled to meet with student representatives later today, Friday, to discuss their plans, but the union stated that the gatherings will go ahead. The movement originated from protests organized by high school students last month due to a lack of teachers and deteriorating facilities. The union said in a statement sent via email, “Macron is crushing the freedom to protest in our country, and he is spitting on the values of the republic that he claims to defend.” France is still recovering from the worst violence it has seen in years, as massive protests last weekend were marred by riots and looting.
Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in parts of Paris and other cities, which has since passed without major incidents. Macron blamed “provocative far-left groups” for the unrest, a claim denied by the prominent leftist party La France Insoumise, and the president said yesterday, Thursday, that “illegal” protests would be banned in the coming days. He added that demonstrations organized by entities such as labor unions would be allowed to proceed, but their routes might be redirected to alternative roads.
Workers, students, and others are protesting against cuts in public spending and demanding wage increases to help citizens cope with rising living costs. The government says it understands these concerns but needs to keep spending under control to limit rising borrowing costs. Local authorities stated that all planned protests for tomorrow, Saturday, have been banned in Marseille and Lyon, the second and third largest cities in France. Despite the restrictions and what the Minister of Justice said about 2,700 arrests being made since Saturday, companies, institutions, and event organizers are preparing to close in anticipation of further unrest.
The Marseille Chamber of Commerce has urged businesses to close tomorrow, Saturday, and the organizers of Art Basel Paris announced that it will close its doors at the beginning of the week, as will the Louvre Museum and the Louis Vuitton Foundation.