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Emmanuel Macron Meets High School Student Groups as Paris Curfew Limits Weekend Protests
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Macron to meet with high school student groups over education protests. About 70,000 security forces will be deployed for Saturday protests.
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Macron meets students
President Emmanuel Macron planned to meet with high school student representatives in Paris on Friday as France braced for further protests over the weekend. Soumaya Sarre, an 18-year-old student and a leading figure in the Federation of High School Students from Working-Class Neighbourhoods, said, “For years, we’ve been given promises that were never kept,” and she added, “What we want is for promises to be backed by concrete results.” Nathanael Combary, 18, president of the board of directors of the student organisation Renouveau Lyceen, said, “We need a government that listens to us and is capable of responding to our demands.”
Jean-Didier Berger, the minister delegate to the interior minister, said the police presence on the streets would be increased by 20 percent, and the government said a curfew in Paris would limit movement while protest bans were in place in Marseille and Lyon. Macron’s meeting marked the first time he held talks with the student groups that have been calling for an overhaul of the education system since September, and the meeting came as students pressed demands including a 1.5-billion-euro emergency plan to improve school infrastructure before winter and summer.
Security and protest bans
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would deploy 70,000 security forces to keep order at protests throughout France on Saturday. Macron said after meeting with intelligence services that all demonstrations not organised by workers unions would be banned, and he said prefects would examine requests by trade unions in accordance with the law while proposing alternative routes. The Guardian reported that Macron said “illegitimate” demonstrations will be banned over the coming days, while the measures were framed as necessary to protect city centres, businesses and public buildings.
Marylise Leon, the general secretary of the CFDT, said the approach would do little to restore calm, telling French broadcaster TF1, “It’s counterproductive because there is a lot of anger, a lot of anger and a demand to be considered and to be listened to.” UNEF called for rallies on Saturday, and Reuters reported that Macron was due to meet student representatives later on Friday to discuss their plans while UNEF said its rallies would go ahead.
Arrests, closures, and stakes
Reuters reported that businesses, cultural events and museums planned to close at the weekend despite curbs on demonstrations as Macron sought to restore order a week after nationwide protests turned violent. The Reuters report said the Yellow Vest movement filed plans for a march through central Paris, while the Yellow Vest movement and UNEF were both positioned for Saturday demonstrations despite bans in Marseille and Lyon. Macron blamed “seditious” ultra-left groups for the unrest, and he said “illegitimate” protests would be banned in coming days, while the France Unbowed party denied the allegations.
The Guardian said the justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, stated 174 of the 2,500 people arrested since last weekend’s rioting had been remanded in custody and more than 900 were being prosecuted. The Jerusalem Post reported that Macron told reporters, “Those who want to cause disorder in city centers next Saturday will be prevented from doing so,” as France prepared a security response that included troops expected to be deployed alongside additional police.
