“There Are People Who Campaign At France’s Expense” — Macron Takes Swipe At Trump As Paris Bans Protests

Wednesday’s announcement came after President Emmanuel Macron took an apparent swipe at his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, for exploiting the riots for political advantage in the U.S. midterm election battle.

The Paris ban will last from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (0600 to 1800 GMT) and will apply to key landmarks in the French capital, including the Élysée Palace, both houses of Parliament, as well as tourist attractions such as the Louvre Museum and the Champs-Élysées.

Other areas where rallies will be prohibited include Bastille and République squares and the Châtelet–Les Halles shopping area, which was heavily targeted by looters over the weekend.

France has admitted it “lost control” during the wave of street violence that erupted last weekend, when masked youths clashed with police, looted shops and vandalised public buildings.

As his government struggled to contain a crisis that has damaged France’s image abroad and rattled financial markets six months before the presidential election, Macron suggested that Trump, and possibly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also campaigning in an election, had made “stupid comments” about the unrest for political gain.

“There are people who campaign at France’s expense — leaders who are in campaign mode, whether here in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic,” Macron told reporters in Doha.

Trump has sought to link the unrest to “migrants, jihadists and communists” while campaigning for his Republican Party in the United States on an anti-immigration platform.

He also hailed French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday.

Le Pen, late Wednesday, described Macron’s remarks as “conspiratorial” in a post on X.

“The images we saw last Saturday are not generated by artificial intelligence: they show the sad reality of what France has become after 10 years of Macronist rule,” added the far-right candidate, who is leading in the polls for the 2027 presidential election.

Several analysts have dismissed claims that migrants were driving the protests in France.

The unrest overshadowed demonstrations held on Saturday in which more than half a million people marched nationwide against the cost of living. Those rallies followed four weeks of student protests that have forced the closure of many schools across France.

Following the rioting — described as the worst France has witnessed in years — and ahead of fresh cost-of-living demonstrations planned for Saturday, Macron’s government warned that it would tolerate no further violence.

Fresh demonstrations planned by high school pupils and university students were also banned in Paris and the southeastern city of Lyon.

Following a meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, the leader of France’s hardline CGT union, Sophie Binet, called for a “new phase” of protests, including strikes early next month.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Wednesday that, of the 2,500 people taken into custody during and after the protests, 174 had been jailed. Another 917 had been formally prosecuted, he added.

The unrest in the European Union’s second-largest economy has rattled financial markets already concerned about the country’s growing debt and deficit.

The yield on France’s benchmark 10-year bond passed five per cent on Wednesday as investors demanded higher returns amid fiscal concerns.

On Friday, Moody’s ratings agency is expected to lower its rating on France’s public debt.

France’s neighbours, Italy and Belgium, have also experienced similar unrest, although on a smaller scale. Italy’s government has ordered 500 troops to Milan to curb street violence there.

While curfews imposed in several cities have helped calm the situation, they have disrupted access to some late-night public transport services.

“It’s quite disconcerting,” said one Paris commuter, who gave only his first name, Louis, after discovering that his line was closed.

But he added: “If it can prevent further acts of vandalism… then yes, I think it’s a good thing.”

The Yellow Vest movement, which was behind last weekend’s demonstrations, announced on Wednesday that it plans to hold a march on Saturday from Bastille Square in Paris, followed by nationwide demonstrations on November 5.

AFP