France to Limit Weekend Protests to Authorised Union Marches, Macron Says

President Emmanuel Macron has taken a tough line on Saturday protests in France, saying only authorised trade union demonstrations will be allowed in towns and cities. The announcement followed nationwide demonstrations that turned violent last weekend.

Some cities, including Lyon and Nice, have already banned all protests. Macron said 'illegitimate' protests would not be allowed, but unions would be offered alternative routes so that businesses could be protected.

Large demonstrations last Saturday against the high cost of living and school conditions were overshadowed by riots and looting in which businesses and historic buildings were destroyed.

Interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger said law-enforcement presence would be 20 percent higher than last weekend, after the government promised a 'massive' police deployment.

At least 2,500 people have been arrested across France since the disorder broke out. Macron met intelligence services and ministers on Thursday to prepare for the next national day of protests on Saturday.

Macron said: 'The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations. Those who want to continue to demonstrate, when they are trade union organisations, will have alternative routes proposed by the prefects. When they're not union organisations, wherever possible, they'll be banned.'

He attacked what he called 'political and even seditious acts organised by far-left groups that aim to bring down the Republic'. Curfews were imposed in several cities after the weekend rioting, and the government wants a return to calm.

The gilets jaunes, or yellow-vest, movement was behind many of last weekend's protests, and Paris authorities said several of their proposed marches have been banned. In Lyon, France's third-biggest city, regional authorities imposed a blanket ban on demonstrations.

The Rhone prefecture said in a statement: 'In light of the mobilisation that is circulating and in view of the events of 17 October, the prefect has decided to prohibit by decree any demonstration in the city of Lyon this Saturday.' Similar announcements were made in Toulon on the south coast, the centre of Rouen in the north-west, and Grenoble in the east.

Partial curfews restricting the movement of young people and gatherings have been in place this week in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon in the south, as well as Lille and other towns in the north. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised a 'massive' deployment of police this week, but some officers told French media they are not trained to deal with large crowds.

Unrest spread across several French cities last weekend, including Paris. Around 550,000 people took part in demonstrations on 17 October to protest rising fuel prices and the cost of living, which escalated after weeks of student protests. Marches were largely peaceful and took place in several major cities, backed by unions, gilets jaunes and student groups, but they were marred by violence, looting and destruction.

Demonstrators set fire to Lyon's tourism office, housed in a 19th-century building; Mayor Gregory Doucet called the burning 'a tragedy'. In Limoges, the clock tower and parts of the roof of the ornate city hall were engulfed in flames before collapsing. A second suspect aged 66 was arrested on Thursday, after a man in his 30s was detained on suspicion of the attempted murder of police officers who were in the city hall when the fire started. In Paris, the iconic Place de la Republique was vandalised by rioters.

Following the unrest, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez tendered his resignation, which Macron rejected. The Elysee Palace instead asked him to look at how to make France's streets safer and bring rioters to justice. Nunez said his teams had forecast 200,000 demonstrators, far lower than the estimated 550,000 who gathered. The unrest comes as Macron enters the final months of his presidency, with elections scheduled for 18 April and 1 May next year.