World News by Wild Rose

It's been a week that’s seen mass protests hijacked by violent rioters across France. The looting of shops, trashing of public buildings, the burning of Lyon’s Tourist Information and the iconic Limoges City Hall.  After the riots, came the curfews, and the contemplation, who did what and why weren’t they stopped. Seditious groups, ultra left anarchists and opportunist criminals said President Macron, with a qualified mea culpa: failures in anticipation and authorities dropped the ball in intelligence gathering. Macron is out of breath,  exhausted and disorientated claimed the Presidential Frontrunner Marine Le Pen, the far right leader now polling in an even stronger position for the Presidency. Foreign leaders had a free for all too, President Trump wading in and Israel’s prime minister settled old scores ahead of elections there. But France wasn’t isolated in its protests and unrest, Milan was a mirror image, with demonstrations in Spain, Portugal, Belgium too, An Autumn of Discontent, and more protests to follow this weekend:

A gunman firing from his car killed one person and wounded five – including a 12-year-old girl shot eight times – in the Paris suburbs on Friday, in what the French presidency condemned as a “racist terrorist attack”. French President Emmanuel Macron visited the working-class town of Trappes southwest of Paris, where a gunman opened fire earlier in the day in an attack suspected of having targeted people of foreign origin. This was a “racist, terrorist attack”, the Elysee presidential palace...

France is adding 20% more security forces for Saturday, 24 October, as Macron warns illegitimate protests will be banned and unions plan a 5 November strike. The post France Boosts Security for Saturday Protests appeared first on The Rio Times.

The US president has turned his attention to France, but his comments appear to have been dismissed by Macron.

French police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday as authorities braced for further demonstrations following some of the worst street unrest in years. The restrictions came after President Emmanuel Macron appeared to accuse US President Donald Trump of exploiting the violence for political gain ahead of US midterm elections. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. 

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned comments by "foreign leaders" on the violent protests in France on October 17. He has now arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of his Gulf tour.

How France got here: the votes against Le Pen, the 2024 gamble, the court case, the debt and the October 2026 riots, with both sides of the argument. The post Why France Is in Crisis, and How Macron Lost His Grip appeared first on The Rio Times.

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday criticised world leaders for making “stupid” comments about the rioting on the sidelines of protests in France, in an apparent swipe at US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron said the leaders were taking aim at France in the context of coming elections in their countries and added that they had been influenced by fake videos generated by artificial intelligence about the riots. Some of the worst urban violence to hit...

Annette Young is pleased to welcome Dr Joseph Downing, Senior Lecturer International Relations and Politics at Aston University. French unrest raises questions about political accountability, police exhaustion and the increasingly confrontational relationship between citizens and the state. Downing argues that  France must reassess how the state exercises authority and responds to both violent unrest and legitimate social movements. And he draws attention to France's centralised policing culture, its revolutionary traditions and the wider threat of Russian information warfare.

French student union spokesperson Alice Cohen-Morzadec says the protests reflect growing anger over Macron's policies.

France’s escalating protest movement is exposing a widening disconnect between political leadership and public frustration, while raising questions about the country’s long tradition of social unrest. Chris Reynolds, Professor of French and European Studies at Nottingham Trent University, argues that President Emmanuel Macron’s latest address was characterised by a troubling “sense of detachment,” offering little to resolve the structural grievances driving the demonstrations. Drawing parallels with May 1968 and the Yellow Vest movement, Reynolds warns that violent unrest risks eclipsing the legitimate concerns of largely peaceful protesters, undermining public sympathy and reshaping political debate ahead of the presidential election. 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nunez's resignation. The move came in response to weekend protests, during which nearly 2,400 people were arrested and almost 1,000 police and gendarmes injured on Saturday. FRANCE 24's International affairs editor Philip Turle has more.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez acknowledges that police 'lost control' during weekend protests.

Macron acknowledges 'failures in anticipation and intelligence', rules out interior minister's resignation over riots.

France saw some of its worst street violence in years as protests over education, public services and the cost of living descended into clashes, looting and fires. More than 2,300 people were arrested as President Emmanuel Macron called for calm. (Source: Bloomberg)

President Macron promises to increase security, but stops short of announcing a state of emergency or curfew.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a national television address after rioting caused widespread damage.