France braces for new protests as Macron seeks to restore order

Paris – France was on Friday bracing for a weekend of new protests after some of the worst urban violence in years erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, as President Emmanuel Macron sought to reclaim the initiative and restore order. Macron, who on Thursday announced that only union demonstrations would be authorised this weekend, was to hold a meeting of his defence council of top ministers and officials and also meet security forces. He was also set to host for the first time representatives of high school pupils, whose protests over conditions at their schools sparked a movement that has broadened nationwide into a show of anger against the government at the rising cost of living.

The protests have come at a critical moment for France six months ahead of elections to replace Macron, with a new poll underlining far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is the frontrunner and showing her position has been strengthened by the latest events. Adding to tensions, Le Pen is at the weekend due to host her National Rally (RN) party congress in Orleans, with thousands of supporters expected but local authorities fearing clashes as opponents head to the city. Macron is due to announce “additional decisions” after hosting the meeting of his defence council, on top of the limited curfews already announced, his office said. At the meeting with students, “we will present our demands to him — which remain the same: the state of school infrastructure and an overhaul of the Parcoursup (university admissions) system,” Nathanael Combary, president of Renouveau Lyceen (High School Renewal) told AFP. Pierre Sourzat, who heads the organisation Les Lyceens (The High School Students), was sceptical: “He’ll listen to us, pretend he’s understood us, and then nothing will come of it. ”…