The remarks came after several nights of localized curfews in cities including Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux, imposed to prevent a repeat of the violence seen on October 17 and 18. According to BFM, Macron said the government would take every measure needed to stop those scenes from returning, and he promised that anyone planning disorder at a further round of demonstrations announced for Saturday would be stopped.
Why it matters
The president's intervention frames the unrest as both a domestic security problem and an information war. By pointing to foreign commentary and synthetic images, Macron is arguing that the public debate over the violence has been shaped partly from outside France. At the same time, he is defending his government's handling of the crisis without resorting to emergency powers, a choice that will be tested if Saturday's demonstrations turn confrontational.
BFM reported that Macron ruled out a state of emergency for now, saying the calm restored since Monday through curfews, bans on gatherings in some cities and ongoing investigations showed that such powers were unnecessary. He described the approach as firm and methodical, and he insisted that no violence could be justified — not verbal, physical, against property or against people.
A security review and a hard line on Saturday
Macron said he would convene the intelligence services, the prime minister and the relevant ministers on Thursday morning to produce a detailed account of what happened on October 17. He said the events of that Saturday had shocked the country and that he had requested clarifications and set out a course of action. Le Figaro reported the planned meeting as a stocktaking session on the unrest.
Ahead of the weekend, the interior ministry has told prefects to block gatherings likely to disturb public order, according to BFM. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told the National Assembly that a large police deployment would be in place for what he called the second act of the mobilization, scheduled for Saturday. Macron said the forces would operate with firmness and method.
The justice ministry has also published figures. BFM reported that Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, speaking in Marseille, said about 2,500 people had been taken into custody since the violence began, and that 174 had been jailed for offenses including handling stolen goods and assaults. Darmanin noted that most of those jailed had no prior criminal record. Separately, 20 Minutes reported that 78 percent of those arrested in Paris were adults and that four people had received prison sentences.
Schools, unions and an uneasy political table
Beyond policing, Macron acknowledged that lycéens have raised concrete grievances after weeks of protests. BFM reported that he listed the condition of school buildings, teacher replacements and student orientation among their demands, and he conceded that Parcoursup, the national university admissions platform, likely needs more transparency and earlier guidance. He said practical responses were being prepared.
Lecornu was due to meet union organizations on Wednesday to discuss protecting protest marches and answering the concerns of school students, though BFM reported that students themselves were not invited. Macron stressed the need to bring unions and young people to the table and to make everyone take responsibility.
The political climate remains tense. Jean-Luc Mélenchon said La France insoumise would attend Thursday's meeting of party leaders at Matignon, called by the prime minister, but that his movement intended to disrupt it, according to BFM. Le Monde described the relationship between the government and the left as increasingly bitter, with the left closing ranks.
Sport has also been affected. The Ligue 1 match between Toulouse and Troyes, set for Saturday afternoon, was moved to Sunday at the request of the Haute-Garonne prefecture, the professional football league said. It is the second professional fixture postponed since the weekend violence, after a Ligue 2 game between Montpellier and Red Star.
What to watch: Thursday's intelligence review and the party meeting at Matignon, then Saturday's demonstrations, which will show whether the government's mix of curfews, bans and heavy policing holds without emergency powers.
