Macron vows crackdown on rioters after cost-of-living protests in France

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to be uncompromising with rioters following Saturday's protests against the high cost of living, while acknowledging the legitimacy of some demonstrators' demands. In a Sunday evening address, Macron condemned the violence and looting that accompanied otherwise peaceful protests, promising "exemplary" judicial follow-up and demanding that those who destroyed property pay and reimburse damages. He also pledged transparency regarding the police strategy used during the demonstrations. Macron distinguished between the "several hundred thousand" protesters with legitimate grievances and the "casseurs" who vandalized shops and public buildings. He instructed Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to draw lessons from Saturday's events regarding intelligence and anticipation, and authorized prefects to potentially ban certain gatherings.