Macron vows to prevent repeat of 17 October unrest, rules out state of emergency
In short
Speaking in Doha on 21 October, French President Emmanuel Macron said the government would punish those who exploited the 17 October protests and use all available legal means to stop a repeat at the protests expected on 24 October. He said no state of emergency was needed and that he had found no evidence of foreign interference in the unrest.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said on 21 October that his government would severely punish those who took advantage of protests to cause disorder and would work to stop a repeat. He spoke to media in Doha, Qatar, during a visit to the Gulf region. Xinhua and Yicai, citing French media, reported his remarks; China News Service said he made them in a live interview. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Macron said the government would take a "determined" approach to a new round of protests expected on 24 October and use "all available legal means" to avoid a repeat of the unrest that followed the 17 October demonstrations. He said there was no need to declare a state of emergency. China News Service reported that he considered the partial curfews in some cities, the bans on gatherings in specific areas and the ongoing investigations to be helping calm the situation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
He said the government would take protesters' legitimate demands seriously, in particular those of young people, but that no form of violence was legitimate. China News Service reported that he stressed the importance of bringing the parties to the table and hoped dialogue would lead everyone to act responsibly. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Macron said no evidence of foreign interference in the 17 October unrest had been found, but that information about the protests was being "manipulated" abroad. He said some images purporting to show France's situation were generated by artificial intelligence, and that claims that France was being "invaded" by migrants and religious extremists were completely false. Xinhua and Jiemian reported him as saying that some leaders in "this region (the Middle East) and across the Atlantic" spread false information at France's expense for election purposes, and that some foreign leaders had made "stupid and unacceptable" remarks. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Nationwide demonstrations took place in France on 17 October. Xinhua reported that the French government estimated about 550,000 participants nationwide, while organisers put the figure at 800,000. Violent clashes occurred in some cities. Xinhua cited official statistics showing at least 3,000 shops looted, and China News Service said some public buildings were also damaged. [ 2 , 3 ]
China News Service reported that Prime Minister Lecornu and Interior Minister Nunez said they would strengthen the deployment of security forces for the new protests. Paris, Nice and other cities kept partial curfews on the evening of 21 October, and Paris and other places had had them for several days. Xinhua, citing French media, said some unions and student groups had set the next national protest for 5 November, while some activists who took part on 17 October said they would hold another demonstration on 24 October. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
A new round of protests is expected on 24 October, and the government has set out a firm stance ahead of it. The outlets report that Macron also accused some foreign leaders of spreading false claims about France, which adds an external dimension to the domestic dispute.
Key facts
- Macron spoke to media in Doha, Qatar, on 21 October during a visit to the Gulf region. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said the government would severely punish those who took advantage of the protests to cause disorder and would use "all available legal means" to prevent a repeat of the 17 October unrest. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Macron said there was no need to declare a state of emergency at present. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said no evidence of foreign interference in the 17 October unrest had been found, but that information about the protests was being "manipulated" abroad. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The French government estimated that about 550,000 people took part in the 17 October protests nationwide; organisers put the figure at 800,000. [ 2 ]
- Official statistics show at least 3,000 shops were looted across France. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Partial curfews continued on the evening of 21 October in Paris, Nice and other cities. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Macron said in Doha on 21 October that the government would take a firm approach and use all available legal means to prevent a repeat of the 17 October unrest. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Macron said a state of emergency was not necessary at present and that the government would take the protesters' legitimate demands seriously. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Macron said no evidence of foreign interference in the 17 October unrest had been found, while information about it was being manipulated abroad, including AI-generated images and false claims that France was being "invaded". [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- At least 3,000 shops were looted across France during the 17 October protests. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The date of the next national protest. Macron referred to protests expected on 24 October. Xinhua reported that some unions and student groups set the next national protest for 5 November, while some activists from the 17 October protests said they would demonstrate again on 24 October.
- Which foreign leaders Macron was referring to. He was reported as saying leaders in "this region (the Middle East)" and "across the Atlantic" spread false information for election purposes, but the documents name no one.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yicai publishes the Xinhua report on Macron's remarks in Doha. [ 1 ]
- Xinhua publishes its report from Paris dated 21 October. [ 2 ]
- China News Service publishes its report, noting that Paris, Nice and other cities kept partial curfews on the evening of 21 October. [ 3 ]
- Jiemian publishes the report, crediting CCTV News. [ 4 ]