Macron says only trade union actions will be allowed in France on Saturday — BBC News

French President Emmanuel Macron said that only authorized trade union demonstrations will be allowed in the country’s cities on Saturday. The decision was announced after violence, looting and the destruction of buildings during protests last weekend, BBC News reports.

According to Macron, prefects will offer trade unions alternative routes for holding actions in order to protect businesses. Demonstrations not organized by trade unions will be banned where possible. The president also spoke of political and insurrectionary actions by ultra-left groups which, he said, are aimed at overthrowing the republic.

Bans and increased police presence

In Lyon, France’s third-largest city by population, authorities have completely banned demonstrations on Saturday. Restrictions were also announced in Toulon, central Rouen and Grenoble. Partial curfews and restrictions on youth movement and gatherings were in force this week in several cities, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Lille.

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Interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger said the number of law enforcement officers would be 20% higher than last weekend. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had earlier promised a large-scale police deployment. At the same time, some law enforcement officers told French media that they lack training to work with large crowds.

Consequences of previous protests

On October 17, around 550,000 people took part in actions against rising fuel prices and the cost of living. The protests, which followed several weeks of student demonstrations, were largely peaceful but were accompanied by riots, looting and destruction. Since the unrest began in France, at least 2,500 people have been detained.

In Lyon, a tourist office located in a 19th-century building was set on fire during the protests. In Limoges, a clock tower and part of the roof of the city hall collapsed as a result of a fire. A man aged around 30 was detained on suspicion of attempted murder of police officers who were in the city hall when the fire began. A second suspect, aged 66, was also detained on Thursday.