French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to ban protests by “individuals or groups with no legitimate authority” as he blamed “ultra-left groups” for riots and looting that spread across his country.
Macron made the remarks as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, ahead of larger demonstrations set for this weekend.
“Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic,” Macron was quoted by Reuters as saying following a meeting with intelligence officials.
The news agency reported that businesses in central Paris have started boarding up their windows over concerns of violence on Saturday. Local authorities also told Reuters that protests planned for Saturday in Lyon have been banned.
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Macron said the strategy adopted for the coming days is to ban protests requested by “individuals or groups with no legitimate authority.”
“Where trade unions submit requests to hold demonstrations, prefects will examine them in accordance with the law, but alternative routes will be proposed” to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings, Macron said.
“The rules are simple, and I think they’re just common sense. The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days,” he said. “For those who still want to protest, if they are trade unions, prefects will propose alternative routes.”
Organizers of the Paris protest on Thursday said an administrative court in the city overturned a ban issued by police after they challenged it. The Paris police prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend.
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The protests began in France in September with calls for education reform, before expanding into larger anti-government demonstrations that French officials say are being fueled by far-left groups.
Protesters gathered peacefully and chanted in the southeastern part of Paris on Thursday while they were watched by a heavy police presence, the AP reported.
Thursday’s planned protests were seen as a prelude to Saturday’s big demonstration, when activists from the “yellow vest” movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019, and the CGT labor union, are expected to join.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.