Macron convenes intelligence services after riots, two days before new protests

French President Emmanuel Macron convened a security meeting Thursday at the Élysée Palace with all intelligence services, amid criticism over his handling of October 17 protests and two days before new demonstrations. Macron, who returned from a Gulf tour, demanded firmness, warning "the hand must not tremble at the top of the state." Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez will present security plans for the October 24 mobilization, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu meets political party representatives. Several parties, including Marine Le Pen's National Rally and Édouard Philippe's Horizons, will send lower-level representatives. Lecornu will also meet mayors of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, cities hit by violence, to reassure local authorities.