Macron Bans Illegitimate Protests After Nationwide Riots

President Emmanuel Macron has banned all public demonstrations not organized by trade unions for the coming days, specifically targeting Saturday, October 24. The crackdown follows a wave of violent unrest on October 17, where masked rioters looted over 3,000 shops and set cars ablaze in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Bordeaux. The violence resulted in at least two deaths, nearly 1,000 injured police officers, and more than 2,500 arrests. Macron attributed the chaos to "seditious" ultra-left groups aiming to bring down the Republic.

To prevent further escalation, the government is deploying 70,000 security personnel—a 20% increase—including elite GIGN and RAID units and military personnel from Operation Sentinelle. Local authorities have implemented blanket protest bans in Marseille and Lyon, while Paris has seen localized night curfews and the closure of major institutions like the Louvre and the Art Basel Paris fair. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has proposed suspending voting rights and restricting social media access for those involved in the violence.

The unrest stems from a convergence of grievances, including soaring living costs, teacher shortages, and a proposed €54 billion in government spending cuts. While Macron is meeting with student representatives to address school infrastructure, labor unions and student groups like UNEF have condemned the bans. Critics, including MEP Manon Aubry, characterized the restrictions as an authoritarian shift, while the CFDT union argued it is not the president's role to decide who is legitimate to protest.