France's Macron says 'illegitimate' protests will be banned, claims ultra-left groups behind riots

OCTOBER 22, 2026 13:45Updated: OCTOBER 22, 2026 13:58French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests would be banned in the coming days, while those from organized groups such as unions would be offered alternative paths for the marches to protect businesses.Macron was speaking after meeting with intelligence officials and senior ministers earlier in the day to discuss the crisis.He also said that "seditious" ultra-left groups as well as vandals were behind last Saturday's riots and looting across France.Rivals from the center-left to the far right have turned on Jean-Luc Melenchon and his France Unbowed (LFI) party, accusing them of fueling France's worst civil unrest in years.Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of French far-left opposition party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed - LFI) and candidate for the 2027 French presidential election, gestures as he delivers a speech before a demonstration by public sector workers, Paris, France, September 29, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Tom Nicholson/File Photo)Melenchon faces criticism over France unrest, protestsMelenchon, who launched his fourth presidential bid in May and remains the hard left's strongest hope of reaching next year's election run-off, has faced mounting criticism since unrest engulfed several French cities, with opponents saying years of confrontational rhetoric helped fuel tensions now spilling onto the streets.Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu sharpened those attacks on Tuesday, telling an LFI lawmaker that the party's "political agenda of instilling violence and chaos in the country was now on full display."The 75-year-old leader has rejected suggestions that LFI bears responsibility for the unrest, accusing the government instead of failing to address deep-rooted social and economic grievances in France's poorer suburbs.Follow us on Google