Macron orders ban on all non-union protests in France on Saturday, with a total ban in Lyon
French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a hard line over the protests planned for Saturday in France. On Thursday he instructed local authorities to ban all protests on Saturday except those organised by trade unions. And in the city of Lyon, demonstrations have been banned outright.
After a security meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and intelligence services, Macron said any request to 'protest' or 'regroup' made by people 'who have no legitimacy to do so' will be 'refused'.
According to Macron, the aim of the decision is to maintain public order and 'protect businesses' after last week's turmoil across France. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in last week's protests, while incidents of vandalism and looting on the sidelines affected thousands of businesses and public buildings.
Calls for a fresh round of protests have already begun to emerge online. That has raised the possibility of the protest movement becoming a weekly occurrence, as was the case during the 2018-2019 Yellow Vest movement.
According to a person close to the president, Macron believes that six months before a presidential election, debate should take place more in TV studios, in newspapers, and ultimately by the choice at the ballot box — not on the streets.
Trade unions usually hold talks with local authorities ahead of planned demonstrations. For Saturday, authorities may offer 'alternative routes' to ensure maximum security, Macron announced.
He added that he will chair a defence council on Friday and announce 'new decisions' afterwards.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said elite tactical police units, along with a military unit normally deployed on French soil for counterterrorism operations, would also be mobilised this weekend.
Meanwhile, the government has been accused of mismanaging last week's protests by significantly underestimating the number of demonstrators and consequently failing to deploy enough police to prevent criminal acts on the sidelines of the protests.
According to French media reports, a protest organised by a major trade union in Paris on Saturday has been approved. On the other hand, all protests in the area including Lyon, one of the country's biggest cities, have been banned.
Notably, the French president is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, but will retain several perks tied to his presidency. He has also rebuked unsubstantiated attempts to link the looting and violence to immigration.
On the political field, far-right leader Marine Le Pen is still ahead of the pack, while far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon remains in a close race for second place. The government faces criticism that it failed to adequately prepare for the violence that played out alongside the mass protests.
Against this backdrop, Saturday is now a big test for France. All eyes are on how effective the ban proves to be and what new decisions emerge from the defence council meeting.
