French President Emmanuel Macron accused groups he described as far-left of seeking to "overthrow the Republic," in the wake of violence and looting that marred last Saturday's protests against the cost of living, emphasizing the need to deal firmly with these acts.
Agence France-Presse quoted Macron as saying on Thursday, at the end of a meeting held at the Élysée Palace attended by intelligence agencies, that "political, even incitement acts, carried out by organized far-left groups aim to overthrow the Republic," adding that these groups are characterized by danger and violence.
Macron pointed to the necessity of dealing firmly with acts of violence and crime, noting the arrest of thousands of people and the imprisonment of hundreds of others, while affirming the continuation of judicial measures against those involved.
Regarding upcoming movements, Macron announced that authorities would only permit protests organized by trade unions on Saturday, clarifying that prefects would propose alternative routes for union protests, while authorities would work to prevent protests organized by other entities as much as possible.
Macron's comments come ahead of a new round of protests scheduled for next Saturday across France, in opposition to the cost of living, following protests held last Saturday that were accompanied by acts of violence and looting.
These developments place the French authorities before the challenge of addressing social demands and ensuring the exercise of the right to peaceful demonstration, while simultaneously taking security and judicial measures against those involved in acts of violence, amid anticipation of the stance toward the anticipated movements and the measures to be taken to control them.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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