Macron limits weekend protests to authorised union demos only

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that only authorised union demonstrations will be permitted in French towns and cities on Saturday, following violent protests last weekend. Some cities, including Lyon and Nice, have imposed complete bans on all protests. Interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger said police deployments will increase by 20% compared to last weekend, after the government faced criticism for being caught off guard by the unrest. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin reported 217 people jailed and 2,700 arrested, with half of detainees having no prior criminal record. The protests, driven partly by the gilets jaunes movement, focused on high living costs and school conditions, but were overshadowed by riots and looting. Macron condemned "seditious acts" by far-left groups, while curfews remain in several cities and blanket bans were issued in Lyon, Toulon, Rouen, and Grenoble.