Macron Limits Saturday Protests to Union-Organized Marches
French president says only union demonstrations will be allowed this weekend as opponents file an emergency legal challenge.
KEY POINTS
- Macron authorized only union-organized demonstrations for Saturday
- Alternative routes will protect city centers and businesses
- Adelico and the Magistrates' Union filed an emergency appeal
- The executive says the president acts within his constitutional powers
President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday, October 22, 2026, that only demonstrations organized by trade unions would be authorized on Saturday. He made the statement at midday after a security council meeting and said the general recommendation is that no protests take place in the coming days.
Macron accused ultra-left groups of seeking to overthrow the Republic during the October 17 mobilization and demanded maximum firmness against what he called acts of delinquency. He also said intelligence services had failed to properly anticipate that mobilization.
“We want a return to calm.”
Alternative routes will be proposed for union-organized marches to protect city centers, shops, and buildings. Non-union protests will be banned wherever possible.
In the early afternoon, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was due to meet political parties at Matignon. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, intelligence officials, and security forces were expected to attend.
The Adelico association and the Magistrates' Union filed an emergency appeal before the Council of State on Thursday evening. Their lawyer, Jean-Baptiste Soufron, described the president's declaration as an abuse of power.
An executive adviser told France Info that Macron does not exceed his prerogatives and stressed that the prefect remains the decision-maker based on public order criteria.
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