France’s Macron accuses social media of sowing discord ahead of election

Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted support for far-right leader Marine Le Pen.(AFP) — President Emmanuel Macron on Monday accused social media of “damaging our democracies” as he lamented the turmoil France faces ahead of an election to pick his successor. Authorities are grappling with nationwide cost-of-living protests that have spilled over into violence.At the same time, the outgoing French president sought to project an image of a government firmly in control, calling for the looting and vandalism seen on Oct. 17 to “never” happen again.France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on Oct. 17 degenerating into some of the country’s worst rioting in years.The demonstrations have come six months ahead of a presidential election to replace Macron, a centrist.The front-runner — far-right leader Marine Le Pen — held an election rally in Orleans on Sunday, a day after further demonstrations saw some violent clashes on the sidelines, though on a much smaller scale than a week earlier.Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted support for Le Pen, as the government and Macron faced sharp criticism for not preventing the unrest.Macron on Monday visited Marseille City Hall, which was briefly overrun by protesters on Oct. 17 and where a bust of Marianne, France’s national symbol, was knocked to the ground.Speaking to members of law enforcement, he said it was “not normal” for France to be in such a state of “turmoil.”“We will continue to hold the line,” he said.“If we all do our jobs well, this movement will subside — because we will address legitimate expectations, and because order will be maintained. But nothing is a foregone conclusion.”He also called social media sites a “tool for mobilising the worst impulses,” adding that they harmed “our democracies.”Macron warned that a new wave of protests planned for this weekend could turn “risky,” adding that protest routes would remain outside city centers to protect public order.Authorities have acknowledged security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on Oct. 17. They stepped up security for Saturday’s protests.Officials pledged to remain vigilant ahead of the new demonstrations.“From a security standpoint, we’ve largely turned things around,” a Macron aide said.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said “a little over a dozen” curfews imposed by local authorities would remain in place and pledged “an extremely robust security operation” for protests next Saturday.“We expect things to be difficult again,” he said. “Halloween night is traditionally always lively.”While Nunez said the outcome of Saturday’s rallies was more “positive” than a week earlier, violence still erupted in the capital and several other cities, including Marseille.A total of 1,435 people were arrested on the sidelines of the weekend protests, Nunez said, adding that there were “no serious incidents.”He said 267 police officers and gendarmes were injured, along with 150 protesters, including three who were seriously hurt.The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by students campaigning for better learning conditions.The police response has been criticized as heavy-handed and sparked a broader movement against the cost of living and police violence.Several teenage protesters have been seriously injured and thousands arrested.In Paris on Monday, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was scheduled to meet with student leaders, with National Education Minister Edouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste joining him for the talks.Macron met with representatives of secondary school students Friday, but they emerged from the talks urging students to keep protesting until the government put forward concrete proposals to address their demands.In addition to the protests, the country was shaken last week by a shooting that killed one person and wounded five, including a 12-year-old girl, outside Paris.Macron has branded the shooting a “racist terrorist attack,” as most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads