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, facing criticism over his handling of October 17 protests and with new demonstrations expected in two days. Macron, who returned from a Persian Gulf tour, demanded firmness and warned "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 and mayors of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. Several parties, including Marine Le Pen's National Rally and Édouard Philippe's Horizons, will send lower-level representatives to the Matignon meeting, criticizing its format. Lecornu has promised transparent information about the October 17 protest management.