Macron announces response measures to high school students’ demands — France 24

French President Emmanuel Macron said the government would announce concrete and decisive measures in response to the demands of high school students, whose protests for improved learning conditions have caused several weeks of unrest in the country. This was reported by France 24.

During a visit to Marseille on October 26, Macron said he had asked the government to respond to the “legitimate demands” underlying the social movement. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was due to hold a press conference after meeting with high school student unions.

New protests expected next Saturday

Macron also reiterated Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s assessment that new protests are expected next Saturday. The French government is seeking to halt a wave of demonstrations accompanied by violence amid discontent over the rising cost of living.

Nationwide rallies on October 17 escalated into some of France’s worst unrest in recent years. Authorities acknowledged security and intelligence failures that preceded clashes, large-scale looting and damage to public property.

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Detentions and injuries

According to Nuñez, 1,435 people were detained during the latest weekend protests. He said the situation had been brought under control and no serious incidents had occurred, but stressed the high level of violence against internal security forces.

A total of 267 police officers and gendarmes, as well as 150 protesters, were injured. Three participants sustained serious injuries in Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand. Clashes also occurred in Paris, Marseille and other cities during Saturday’s demonstrations.

In Marseille, Macron visited the city hall, which was damaged during the violence on October 17, and met shop owners affected by looting and vandalism. On the morning of October 26, many storefronts in the city center remained covered with protective shutters.