Macron Convenes Security Meeting Ahead of Saturday Protests in France

French President Emmanuel Macron convened a security council meeting on 22 October with relevant ministers and intelligence services, according to The Guardian. The aim, as reported, was to prevent unrest ahead of protests planned for Saturday. Macron had returned from a tour of the Gulf region before the meeting, and he was expected to speak to the public after it.

The meeting follows a period of serious disorder. On Sunday, 18 October, Macron denounced "unbridled" violence amid clashes across France. AFP reported that nearly 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday during unrest that has been described as some of the worst urban violence in the country this October.

Nationwide rioting and looting prompted Macron to promise more security measures, according to Al Jazeera. He stopped short, however, of announcing a state of emergency, a legal status that gives authorities extra powers, or a curfew, a ban on people being outside during set hours.

On Wednesday, 21 October, Macron vowed to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend's violence at protests in France, as Reuters reported. Earlier that week, he told reporters that "The government must hold its nerve."

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to hold a separate meeting on 22 October with party leaders. The talks were due to cover concerns including policing and next year's presidential campaign.