Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris this Thursday (22), while other cities banned protests after a weekend marked by clashes and widespread looting, representing the most intense episodes of violence recorded in France in years.
The organizers of the Paris protest said that an administrative court overturned the prohibition imposed by the police, after a challenge filed by them. Previously, Paris police had said the measure was necessary in light of the risk of violence on the streets, after groups of masked youths clashed with officers, looted stores and set cars on fire during the weekend.
The decision of the Paris court had not been publicly disclosed at the time. The protesters, among them many young people, gathered peacefully and chanted slogans in an area in the southeast of the city, under a heavy police presence.
Protesters face off with the police in Paris
“We do not need tear gas so that our future looks bleak,” read a banner stretched by the protesters.
The organizers signed a police document in which they pledged to keep the protest in a fixed location, due to the risk of violence.
New prohibitions were expected in the coming days. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that these measures aim to protect city centers, commercial establishments, and public buildings.
The right to protest is protected by the French Constitution, and the prohibitions of acts planned for this Thursday, 22, in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble were considered by some to be a violation of the French people’s right to protest.
Groups of high school and university students said they would continue to mobilize, despite autumn school break having begun this week.
Macron stated, after an extraordinary security meeting at the Élysée Palace, that the strategy adopted for the coming days foresees the prohibition of demonstrations requested by “individuals or groups without legitimacy to organize them.”
“The rules are simple and, in my view, they are merely a matter of common sense. The general recommendation is that there be no demonstrations in the coming days,” he said. “For those who still want to protest, if they are unions, the mayors will propose alternative routes.”
Macron attributed the weekend violence to “actions led by radical left-wing groups that aimed to bring the Republic down,” in addition to the actions of criminals who went to the streets to loot.
The wave of unrest in Paris and in other French cities prompted a strong response from security forces. Nighttime curfews were implemented in some areas of the French capital and in other cities where the situation has returned to normal.
The protests began last month at a high school in Créteil, in the southeast of Paris, due to a lack of staff. From there, class suspensions, blockades and protests spread to other suburbs of Paris and, later, across the country, including in smaller towns.
High school students have expressed concern about the lack of resources for schools, deteriorating facilities and staff shortages, especially in lower-income neighborhoods. Some also advocated for reform of the university admission system, considered complex and unfair by many.
Unable to meet the students’ demands, the government saw the protests and school blockades evolve into broader demonstrations against the rising cost of living, only months before next year’s presidential election, which will elect Macron’s successor.
With information from the Associated Press (AP).
