France's Macron tightens curbs on protests
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests would be banned in the coming days and blamed "seditious" ultra-left groups and vandals for last weekend's riots and looting. Speaking after a meeting with intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, Macron said demonstrations organised by groups such as trade unions would be allowed to go ahead but could be diverted along alternative routes to protect businesses. "Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic," he said. His comments came as authorities across France prepared for fresh protests following some of the country's worst urban unrest in years. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said he wanted voting rights suspended for people who defy bans on taking part in demonstrations, and restrictions on social media access for people involved in violence, looting or attacks on police. All protests planned for Saturday in Marseille and Lyon, France's second- and third-largest cities, have been banned, local authorities said. Yet fresh demonstrations are already taking shape before what officials fear could be another volatile weekend. France's main student union, UNEF, has called for rallies on Saturday, while the Yellow Vest movement, the anti-establishment force that emerged in 2018, has filed plans...
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