France’s President Emmanuel Macron warned today that the next Saturday will remain a high-risk day amid protests, where unions call for nationwide mobilization on October 31st.

We know that next Saturday is still a high-risk day. We know that November 5th will be a day of national mobilization involving all trade unions and there are other Saturdays ahead, Macron told reporters during his visit to Marseille.

He reaffirmed that it is not inevitable that such models can continue every Saturday, underlining that authorities will continue to organise and protect property, people and city centres.

Macron added that he has asked the government to respond to legitimate requests at the root of this social movement, remembering that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will meet with representatives of the high school community during the day.

The French president signalled significant remarks and progress intended to bring about changes now and launch initiatives in the short term following LeCornu’s scheduled meeting.

We will do the same with trade unions and employers’ organisations, and thus all this must gradually become normal, with respect, Macron added.

He acknowledged that there were not enough security forces in the October 17th protests and that events had not been predicted.

We had not anticipated that so many extreme left groups would mobilize very early in the morning, in a very unusual way. We had also not anticipated that criminal elements would be united beyond the mobilization of the left extreme. As a result, police forces were not deployed in sufficient numbers, he said.

Macron stressed that authorities are currently guarding the Republic and public order without a state of emergency, rejecting criticism of the mass failure and reaffirming that authorities are rigorous and established.

He said social media played a role in mobilization, adding that social media are damaging our democracies because they promote polarisation, create some kind of shock and paralysis in the face of violent scenes.

They have been used, especially on October 17th, to bring young and old to countries where criminal acts, attacks and plunder are taking place because social media violence is appearing in a way that makes it appear unrealistic, Macron said. / AA/