French authorities in several cities banned demonstrations planned for this Thursday across the country, following a weekend of clashes and widespread looting, amid a wave of unrest the most violent recorded in France in years.
The turmoil in Paris and in other French cities prompted the government to adopt a strong security response. Night curfews were implemented in some areas of the French capital, as well as in other cities where calm had been restored.
Demonstrations planned for Thursday in Paris, Lyon, Lille, and Grenoble were banned, in a move seen by some as a violation of the French people’s right to protest.
However, high school and university student organizations say they will remain mobilized, despite the start of autumn school holidays this week.
The Paris Police Prefecture said the ban was necessary given the risk of new episodes of street violence, as seen over the weekend when groups of masked youths clashed with police, looted stores, and set cars on fire.
The ban in Paris will remain in effect until 8 p.m. local time, and will cover areas near the Élysée Palace, the seat of the French presidency, the two houses of Parliament, and the city’s main railway stations. Central Paris areas hit hard by looting are also included.
Authorities prepare for another major day of protests
The demonstrations planned for Thursday were seen as a prelude to the big Saturday protest, when activists from the “Yellow Vests” movement are expected to participate, whose protests against fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019.
Some of these protests, including marches in Lyon, will also be banned, local authorities said.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who met with union representatives on Wednesday, said a “massive” security operation is planned for Saturday, aimed at preventing a repetition of the violence promoted by small groups of demonstrators involved in looting, which exposed security gaps.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron held a morning meeting on Thursday with representatives of the intelligence services, Lecornu, and ministers to obtain a detailed briefing on what went wrong over the weekend and to review preparations for upcoming demonstrations.
Union representatives said the meeting with Lecornu did not yield concrete proposals. They are now focusing their efforts on another major day of mobilization, scheduled for November 5, and have urged workers in both the public and private sectors to participate.
From student protests to a broader social movement
The demonstrations began last month at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, due to a lack of staff. From there, student strikes, blockades, and demonstrations spread to other Parisian suburbs and, later, to the whole country, including smaller cities.
High school students voiced concerns about insufficient funding for schools, the deterioration of facilities, and staff shortages, especially in lower-income neighborhoods. Some also called for a reform of the university admissions system, considered by many to be complex and unfair.
In the face of the government’s inability to meet students’ demands, the protests and school blockades evolved into broader demonstrations against the rising cost of living, just months before the next year’s presidential election, which will elect Macron’s successor. Source: Associated Press.
