Macron bans protests in French cities as student unrest spreads; CGT march in Paris approved

French President Emmanuel Macron has banned protests in major cities where marches have not been called by trade unions, deploying the measure after acknowledging "failures of foresight" on October 17 when student-led unrest spread across France.

Marseille will prohibit all demonstrations on Saturday October 24. A curfew currently applying to minors in the city centre will be extended to adults. The same restrictions apply in Lyon, Nice and Montpellier, where an officially notified demonstration was subsequently banned.

In Paris, a march from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation — called by the CGT union — has been authorised. A curfew covering Place de la République and Les Halles remains in force each night until Monday morning. The city of Orléans is also being monitored ahead of a large protest against the Rassemblement National, which is holding its annual congress there.

Macron, speaking in a grave tone Thursday, announced "maximum severity" against what he called criminal and "seditious" acts from far-left groups seeking to "bring down the Republic."

CGT leader Sophie Binet rejected the framing, calling on the government to "stop competing over who adopts the toughest security measures" and saying unions know "how to guarantee the security of demonstrations."

An estimated 3,000 businesses were vandalised last weekend. The retail sector estimates damages in the hundreds of millions of euros, though a precise figure has not been confirmed. Trade unions and progressive legal scholars have warned that the protest bans risk damaging the rule of law.