Macron says France will ban "illegitimate" protests in coming days

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests will be banned in the coming days. Organised groups such as trade unions, he added, would be offered alternative routes for their marches in order to protect businesses. The announcement follows a weekend in which rioting and looting broke out on the edges of mass, otherwise peaceful demonstrations.

Army on the streets

The French government has said it will put soldiers on the streets in response to the unrest. The source does not specify what tasks they will be given.

More protests expected

The country is bracing for another weekend of protests involving high school students and the "Yellow Vest" movement, which first emerged in France with widespread protests in 2018. A demonstrator carrying a sign reading "Yellow Vests 2018, Unconditional Support" was photographed at a protest in Lyon on 17 October.

Paris police have already banned a student protest scheduled for Thursday. A police source told AFP the decision was based on the organiser's "inability to prevent violence and vandalism".

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to meet on Thursday with the mayors of some of the cities hit hardest by the weekend's riots, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

The source gives no details on the criteria for deciding which protests count as "illegitimate", nor on the damage caused or the number of people detained.