Paris (France): French President Emmanuel Macron has demanded answers over the security lapses after incidents of violence and vandalism erupted during protests against inflation and rising fuel prices. Macron on Monday rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nunez’s offer to resign, but instructed him to immediately devise new measures to stop violence, remove roadblocks and curb looting.
Students have been protesting in France for the past several weeks and there has been violence on the streets several times during this time. The weekend saw massive protests across the country against inflation, high fuel prices and the deteriorating state of public services. Protesters say that due to the deterioration in public services, ordinary people have to deal with their problems on their own.
Violent groups vandalised and looted during peaceful demonstrations in several cities, including the capital Paris, Marseille and Lyon. In some places, shops were damaged, graffiti was painted on buildings and a municipal administration building was set on fire. Clashes also broke out in Paris and Marseille on Sunday, where riot control police intervened to stop businesses trying to loot their establishments.
According to the Elysée, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered Macron his resignation after the incidents of violence. Macron did not accept it. Instead, he asked Nunez to devise new measures to improve security and to properly assess the situation before violence and to be transparent about intelligence failures.
Nunez told France Inter radio that 60,000 police and other security forces were deployed across the country on Saturday. He, however, admitted that the numbers were not enough to control violent mobs in some cities.
Over the weekend, demonstrations against inflation and rising costs of living were also held in several other European countries, including Italy, Belgium and Albania. High fuel prices due to the Iran war have increased the economic pressure on the common people.
[DD news]