France to Ban Demonstrations Not Organized by Trade Unions

French regional authorities will ban all demonstrations planned for the coming days, with the exception of protests organized by trade unions.

According to a statement published on the official X account of French President Emmanuel Macron’s office at the Élysée Palace, the decision concerns upcoming demonstrations across the country.

“If the demonstrations are organized by trade unions, prefects will propose alternative routes. If they are not organized by trade unions, we will ban them wherever we can,” Macron said at the end of a meeting attended by members of the Cabinet to discuss the upcoming protests.

Macron stressed that the current situation was not an appropriate time for demonstrations. “We all need to return to calm,” he noted.

The French president accused radical left-wing groups of being behind the unrest that took place on October 17. “Their goal is to destroy the Republic,” Macron emphasized.

On October 17, mass demonstrations took place in Paris and across France in protest against rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power.

According to estimates by the organizers, 800,000 people participated in the protests. France’s Interior Ministry, however, reported that the number of participants was 550,000. This figure was twice as high as the projections made by law enforcement analysts.

In several cities, the demonstrations escalated into riots and clashes with police. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez pledged that the authorities would continue to pursue everyone involved in looting and acts of theft.

Editorial note: The dates, figures, quotations, and claims in the source text should be verified against reliable news reports and official statements before publication.