French Authorities Ban Student Protests in Four Cities After Weekend Violence

French authorities banned Thursday protests in Paris, Lyon, Lille, and Grenoble after weekend clashes and looting, marking France's most violent unrest in years. The bans include areas near the presidential palace, parliament, and main train stations. The weekend saw masked youth clash with police, loot shops, and torch cars, prompting night curfews in some areas. Student groups vow to continue mobilizing despite the bans, which some view as infringing on protest rights. Saturday's planned demonstrations, expected to include "yellow vest" activists, will face a "massive" security operation. President Macron met intelligence officials Thursday to review security failures, while unions focus on a Nov. 5 action day.