Play store
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday slammed the “unbridled” violence that erupted in cost-of-living demonstrations across the country, as police battled protesters and looters in new clashes in Paris.
Nearly 2,400 people were arrested Saturday in unrest that represented some of the worst urban violence in France in years, with almost 1,000 police and gendarmes injured, seven seriously, the interior ministry said.
In an address to the nation, Macron said local authorities would be able to ban — “if necessary” –
– certain rallies in coming days. But he stopped short of announcing drastic measures, such as a state of emergency or curfew.
“Tonight, we all feel anger and shame,” Macron said of the devastation brought by the protests that included town halls burned down and hundreds of businesses looted or damaged.
“Looking at these images, we all asked ourselves: what is going through their minds? How can French people do this to France?” said Macron, who insisted there must be a distinction between protesters with “legitimate demands” and “those who destroyed, smashed, and looted”.
He vowed the authorities would be “uncompromising” towards the “agitators from ultra-left fringe groups, joined by numerous delinquents” who “unleashed unbridled violence in our cities”.
AFP journalists said police fired tear gas and stun grenades Sunday at hundreds of people gathered in a Paris square following social media calls for a gathering that authorities said had not been approved.
Bottles and rocks were hurled at police, who made 108 arrests across the city, according to authorities. At least five stores were looted around Republique square.
Other stores in central Paris also had windows smashed and the city hall told many to close. In the southeastern city of Lyon, police battled youths who attempted to loot a luxury clothing store.
The unrest came just months before a presidential election where centrist Macron cannot stand again and Marine Le Pen, the far-right presidential candidate for the National Rally party, is riding high in the polls.
Le Pen said the troubles showed that Macron’s administration was “running on fumes, exhausted and disoriented”.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of the hard-left France Unbowed party, also running for president, warned that the country could be heading toward “events that will eventually become uncontrollable”.
Macron said “our country deserves a fine presidential election”, marked by debates “with the parties, rather than in the streets with violence”. Source: AFP.
