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French President Emmanuel Macron said prefects may take decisions up to banning certain demonstrations to protect cities, after yellow vest protests the previous day left streets damaged, shops looted and hundreds of people injured.

In a televised address from the Elysee Palace in Paris, Macron called on political parties and trade unions to condemn the unrest unequivocally, while saying he understood the anger over the cost of living and fuel prices.

Address from the Elysee Palace

Macron spoke to the nation from the Elysee Palace in Paris after yellow vest demonstrations the previous day. "Dear fellow citizens, this evening I am addressing you at an extremely serious time," Macron said.

Referring to the violence during the protests, which he identified as Saturday, Oct. 17, Macron said "far-left fringe groups, joined by a large number of criminals who fed off them, unleashed unchecked violence in our cities." He said many shops were looted and attacks were carried out on stores, public buildings and town halls.

Macron urged political parties and trade unions to condemn the violence in the strongest terms, and said prefects could take decisions, up to banning some demonstrations, in order to protect cities. "The country needs order and calm, not escalating tension," he said.

Attacks on public buildings

Macron said the footage of the protests left everyone asking: "What is going through their minds? How can the French do this to France?" He said seeing city streets damaged in this way was unbearable and that people felt anger and shame about what had happened.

Macron said the violence was incomprehensible, citing arson at the Limoges town hall and a tourism office in Lyon, the storming of the town hall in Marseille and an attack on the governor's residence in Bordeaux. "How could they come to this? Nothing justifies it. Nothing explains it. Nothing excuses it," Macron said.

Support for shopkeepers and police

Noting that some shopkeepers had to protect their own stores from criminals, Macron told them they would not be left alone. He said the government would present the necessary measures to shopkeepers starting the following day, and that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu would chair a crisis meeting the next day to help them as quickly as possible.

Macron said law enforcement faced unprecedented violence in many cities the previous day. "They held on and did the best they could," he said.

Calls for accountability

Macron said Lecornu would gather political parties, trade unions and representatives of high school and university students in the coming days, and called for transparency on the public order strategy. He said he had instructed the government to draw all necessary lessons from intelligence and foresight so that this does not happen again, and asked for clear answers and investigations.

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has instructed prosecutors to act firmly, Macron said. "Those who vandalised must pay the cost. Those who looted must compensate for the damage. Those who tried to overthrow the Republic must be held to account," he said. Macron added that a distinction must be made between those who destroy things and protesters.

Acknowledging cost-of-living anger

Macron said he understood protesters who were worried about the cost of living and high fuel prices, and traced the source of those concerns to the war he said began with United States and Israeli attacks on Iran. He said France had taken steps to secure its oil supply.

"I understand our high school and university students," Macron said, adding that their voices must be heard. He said those in power had to hear this anger and act on its causes while defending the Republic, and would never yield to those who set things on fire and destroy them.

Macron said France deserved to hold a proper presidential election on schedule within six months, adding that the government favoured dialogue and opposed all violence. The yellow vest protesters, backed by students, had staged nationwide demonstrations the previous day against the cost of living and high fuel prices.

About 2,400 people were detained across the country during the previous day's protests, while roughly 1,000 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured. One protester died after falling ill in Paris, and another lost a hand in Saint-Etienne.

Key takeaways

• Macron said prefects may ban some demonstrations to protect cities after the previous day's yellow vest protests.
• About 2,400 people were detained nationwide and around 1,000 police, gendarmes and firefighters were injured.
• One protester died in Paris and another lost a hand in Saint-Etienne during the unrest.
• Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was to chair a crisis meeting the next day to help affected shopkeepers.