Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, announced on Monday that the government of this country will soon introduce a set of "strong measures" to reduce recent protests. These protests have affected France in recent weeks.
Macron's warning about new demonstrations
Macron warned in the city of Marseille that new demonstrations planned for next Saturday will be "dangerous" and that protest routes will be maintained outside urban centers to preserve public order.
France's Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nune, stated in an interview with BFM that he expects more disturbances to occur on October 31. He said, "Halloween night is traditionally always a bit busy, and we expect to have complicated conditions again."
The role of security forces and social media
Before Macron's arrival in Marseille, the Élysée Palace announced that the President intends to pay respect to the internal security forces that helped restore order in France's second-largest city and to thank them. Macron acknowledged that French officials "in no way" anticipated the scale of protests that led to violence and looting in several major cities.
The President of France also referred to the role of social media in these protests, stating that these platforms make "our democracies vulnerable" and draw young people to places where criminal acts, attacks, and looting occur. He described these media as "tools for mobilizing the worst impulses."
Macron also mentioned that French security forces had failed to understand how quickly "extreme left forces" would meet with each other. Minister Nune referred to the phenomenon of organized right-wing groups that have confronted leftist activists in several cities.
Macron announced that to maintain order during the protests on Saturday (October 24), nighttime curfews helped to maintain relative order, and 70,000 police officers were deployed across the country, resulting in 1,435 arrests.
The government led by Macron is also seeking to respond to legitimate demands that lie at the root of this social movement. He stated that "specific and significant" actions to address student concerns regarding education and university admissions will be announced soon. Government spokesperson, Modi Brijon, confirmed this and added that restoring calm is essential to respond to these demands.
Read more: Nationwide protests in France and clashes with police
