Riots in France: Macron speaks of "anger and shame"

The violent riots have shaken France. And there were further clashes on Sunday as well. In an address, President Macron announced that he would take decisive action – including, if necessary, banning demonstrations. French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly condemned the riots that have taken place on the fringes of protests against the high cost of living and shortcomings in the education system. “Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening. “Tonight, we all feel anger and shame.” Macron stated that further demonstrations could be banned if necessary: “Given the current situation, the prefects, in consultation with the mayors, will take decisions to protect our towns, our public buildings and our shops, and will, if necessary, even go so far as to ban certain gatherings and take all necessary measures.” ““Those who have caused destruction must pay for it.” The government had convened a crisis meeting following the violent unrest. Macron consulted with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the relevant ministers on the situation that evening. He subsequently announced in his address that a review of police operations would be carried out. It must be clarified whether there were any failings in the intelligence services’ information-gathering or in the security forces’ preparations in the run-up to the protests. The rioters would be punished and held to account, Macron said. “Those who have caused destruction must pay for it. Those who looted must make good the damage. Those who attempted to overthrow the Republic will be held to account.” According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, 2,000 people were arrested on Saturday during the nationwide riots. Across the country, 600 police officers and firefighters were injured. In Paris, a protester suffered a cardiac arrest and died. Clashes broke out again on Sunday at the Place de la République in Paris when the police broke up an “unannounced” gathering in the afternoon. They used tear gas. Fires were set once again in the capital. Looting and severe damage The devastation was visible in many places. In central Paris, streets were littered with rubbish, smashed bicycles and items from looted shops. Almost 1,000 street cleaning staff were called into action on Sunday to clear the streets of Paris of the traces of the riots. In Limoges, the magnificent, listed town hall was partially destroyed by fire. “Thanks to the emergency response, the rear section of the building was saved,” Maurice Barate, the prefect of the Haute-Vienne department, told BFMTV. Looting and severe damage were also reported in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice and other cities. The damage is immense, particularly for the hundreds of business owners affected, said the Home Secretary. The mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, stated that up to 100 shops had been looted in his city. The mayor of Marseille, Benoit Payan, announced emergency financial aid for the affected businesses. Protests against high prices and spending cuts According to official figures, around 550,000 people took part in the protests nationwide. The organisers even put the figure at 800,000 demonstrators. Various organisations had called for a day of protest against the high cost of living, social inequality and cuts to public funding. Issues included fuel prices, the large number of people on low wages, and problems facing the agricultural sector and the fire service. School pupils and university students in France had already been demonstrating in recent weeks for better learning conditions. They are calling for more teachers, smaller class sizes and better facilities. The protests are taking place against the backdrop of the debate over an austerity budget which the government is seeking to push through Parliament. This budget also provides for cuts in the education sector. To tackle the crisis, Macron called on the government to bring together representatives of students, teachers, MPs, trade unions and the business community before the end of this week. The aim is to draw up concrete proposals. Pressure on the government is mounting With just a few months to go before the presidential election in France, the protests are increasing the pressure on President Macron and his government. Macron himself is not standing for re-election. Recent polls have shown the right-wing populist Marine Le Pen and the left-wing populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the lead.