ISTANBUL – French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to maintain law and order and restore calm, announcing Sunday that prefects could prohibit certain demonstrations.
Macron addressed the nation from the Elysee Palace in Paris following massive nationwide protests Saturday organized by the Yellow Vest movement with support from student unions and trade unions that escalated into widespread urban destruction.
“My fellow citizens, I am addressing you this evening at an extremely serious moment,” he said.
“Yesterday, Saturday, Oct. 17, extremist far-left groups, together with numerous criminals who contributed to their activities, unleashed uncontrolled violence in our cities,” Macron said.
He called on political parties and trade unions to unequivocally condemn the violence.
He also stressed that prefects could take measures, including banning certain demonstrations, to protect their cities.
“The country needs order and calm, not an escalation of tensions,” Macron said, noting that numerous shops had been looted and that stores, public buildings and municipal buildings had been attacked.
‘How can the French do this to France?’
Macron said that when people in the country watched footage of the demonstrations, they asked themselves: “What is going through their minds? How can the French do this to France?”
“Seeing the streets of our cities devastated in this way is unbearable,” he said, adding that everyone felt anger and shame over what had happened.
He said he could not understand the arson attack on Limoges City Hall, the burning of the tourist office in Lyon, the entry of demonstrators into the municipal building in Marseille, or the attack on the prefect’s residence in Bordeaux.
“How could they go this far? Nothing can justify this. Nothing can explain it. Nothing can excuse it,” he said.
Macron noted that some shopkeepers had been forced to protect their businesses from criminals.
“I want to tell them that they will not be left alone in the face of these difficulties,” he said.
He announced that the government would begin offering solutions to shopkeepers the following day.
He added that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu would chair an emergency meeting the next day to provide assistance to business owners as quickly as possible.
Macron said law enforcement officers had faced unprecedented levels of violence in many cities Saturday but “stood their ground and did the best they could.”
He said that in the coming days, Lecornu would bring together representatives of political parties, trade unions and high school and university students.
He also called for transparency regarding the government’s strategy for maintaining public order.
“I have instructed the government to draw all the necessary lessons regarding intelligence gathering and anticipation and to ensure that this never happens again,” he said, adding that he wanted clear answers and investigations into the events surrounding the demonstrations.
Macron also noted that Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin had instructed prosecutors to take a firm approach to the matter.
“Those who destroy must pay the cost. Those who loot must compensate for the damage. Those who attempt to overthrow the Republic must be held accountable,” he said.
Macron stressed that a distinction must be made between those who engage in arson and destruction and the demonstrators themselves. He added that he understood the concerns expressed by protesters over the cost of living and high fuel prices.
He attributed the roots of these concerns to the war that began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, emphasizing that France had taken measures to secure its oil supplies.
“I understand our high school and university students,” he said, adding that their voices needed to be heard.
Macron said the government had a responsibility to listen to this anger, address its underlying causes and protect the Republic at the same time.
He underlined that the authorities would never make concessions to those who set fire to property and engaged in destruction during the demonstrations.
He said France deserved to hold a proper presidential election in six months, as planned. He emphasized that the government favored dialogue and opposed all forms of violence.
The Yellow Vest movement organized demonstrations across France on Saturday to protest the rising cost of living and high fuel prices.
Around 2,400 people were taken into custody nationwide, while around 1,000 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured.
During the protests, a demonstrator who became ill in Paris died, while a 17-year-old boy had his right hand blown off by a crowd-control grenade in the southern city of Saint-Etienne. |French President Emmanuel Macron
