French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that protesters seeking to “cause chaos” during demonstrations over the cost of living will not be allowed to do so, as France prepares for further unrest.
Speaking in Doha after meeting Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Mr Macron said he would consult French intelligence services before protests planned for Saturday.
He said there had been no “visible foreign interference” in the events so far, but warned of “foreign manipulation of information in the aftermath”.
More than half a million people gathered across France on Saturday to demand better conditions in schools and protest against rising living costs. Riots broke out in some areas, with shops looted, and at least 2,500 people were arrested.
Mr Macron said he would “adopt all the measures necessary” to restore “calm, security and order”.
France prepares for further protests
The French president also condemned what he called “unacceptable and even stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders”, accusing them of commenting on the protests to mobilise their own political supporters.
His remarks appeared to refer to United States President Donald Trump, who claimed the demonstrations were about immigration, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said France had been engulfed by an “invasion of extremist Islam”. Neither leader provided evidence for those claims.
France’s Yellow Vest movement filed plans on Wednesday for a large protest in Paris this weekend. The development followed a second consecutive night of curfews that passed without major incidents.
Mr Macron said a state of emergency was not currently necessary. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has nevertheless promised tighter security at future protests, including a “massive deployment” of police backed by the military.
