Macron Calls for Calm as Protests Over Living Costs and School Conditions Intensify
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged for “calm and order” after a major day of protests descended into rioting and looting in Paris on Saturday, with some disorder continuing into Sunday. The unrest, which began as student protests over living costs and school conditions last month, escalated significantly when trade union members and other anti-government groups joined the demonstrations. A man was seen trying to extinguish a fire in Paris on Sunday, a stark image of the chaos that has gripped the capital. In response, Paris police chief Patrice Faure banned demonstrations around the Elysee presidential palace, the prime minister’s office, and the Champs-Elysees shopping avenue, among other key locations. Police also prohibited a major march through the heart of the capital, and negotiations with organizers over an alternative route failed to reach an agreement. The main Paris demonstration was set to kick off at 2pm at the Republique square and head to northern Paris.nnThe political landscape is increasingly polarized, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party seeking to frame the unrest as a law-and-order issue, accusing the government of failing to control the country and blaming its main competitor, Jean-Luc Melenchon, of stoking violence. Le Pen remains the leading contender in the presidential race with 32 percent of the vote, while the National Rally ranked second among voters aged 18 to 24, behind France Unbowed. Caught between these competing narratives is Macron’s centrist bloc, whose presidency began amid the Yellow Vest protests and is now approaching its end against the backdrop of another major wave of social unrest. Macron emphasized the stakes, stating, “The choices about the future that you—and we—will have to make in six months are essential.”nnCriticism has also come from within the government, with one official stating that the Interior minister and “the police chiefs have shown complete incompetence.” This internal rebuke underscores the challenges facing the administration as it tries to restore order. The protests, initially focused on living costs and school conditions, have broadened into a wider expression of discontent, reminiscent of the Yellow Vest movement that rocked Macron’s early presidency. As the situation develops, all eyes are on whether the government can quell
Shimanta Das 
