French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that his Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will announce "strong measures" to assuage French student protesters, while noting that next weekend could nevertheless bring the risk of more unrest. "I have also asked the government to respond to the legitimate demands that lie at the root of this social movement," he told reporters in Marseille on Monday. Lecornu is set to hold a news conference later Monday after meeting with unions of high school students.
During a visit to Marseille, Macron repeated what Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said earlier on Monday, namely that more protests are expected next Saturday. The French government is seeking to draw a line under weeks of protests that have been marred by violence due to widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years. The demonstrations come at a critical moment for France, six months ahead of a presidential election to replace centrist Macron.
The frontrunner– far-right leader Marine le Pen– held an election rally in Orleans Sunday, a day after yet more demonstrations also saw some violent clashes on the sidelines. She vowed to "restore the rule of law" if elected next year. Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted her support, as the government and Macron faced sharp criticism over the unrest.
Read moreFrench far-right leader Le Pen seeks to leverage unrest in presidential campaign kick-off Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17, and had stepped up security for Saturday's protests. While Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's rallies was more "positive" than a week ago, street violence still erupted in the French capital and a number of other cities including Marseille. Read moreGovernment says protests across France 'went well' despite nearly 1,000 arrests During his visit to Marseille, France's second-largest city, Macron made a stop at the city hall after it was damaged in the protest violence on October 17.
He also meets with shopkeepers who had fallen victim to looting and vandalism, according to the French presidential palace. After this weekend's protests, many shopfronts in the city centre were still boarded up early Monday, just hours before Macron's arrival. Macron's visit was intended to demonstrate that "the state is present, standing firm and fulfilling its mission to protect", an aide said.
A total of 1,435 people were arrested on the sidelines of the most recent weekend protests, Nunez said on Monday. "The day was brought under control and there were no serious incidents," he told broadcaster BFMTV. "Nevertheless, we saw a very high level of violence directed at the internal security forces," Nunez added.
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