Macron Visits Marseille and Warns Saturday Protests Could Turn "Risky"

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille on Monday 26 October 2026, where he warned that Saturday protests in France could turn "risky". According to the Élysée, the presidential office, he went to the Marseille city hall during the trip.

During the visit, Macron also met with police in the city. Marseille is France's second-largest city, and its city hall was damaged during the protests that came before his visit, AFP reported.

The unrest began with demonstrations. On 17 October, protests in Marseille gave way to riots, and hundreds of businesses in the city were damaged or looted, The New York Times reported. Fresh clashes broke out in Paris and Marseille, where riot police intervened to prevent attempts to ransack businesses, according to Reuters.

Days later, Macron set out a harder line. On 22 October, he said "illegitimate" protests would be banned in the coming days and blamed "seditious" ultra-left groups, meaning the far left, for the unrest, Reuters reported. He also vowed to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend's violence at protests planned in the coming days, Reuters reported. Macron further accused social media of sowing discord during the protests, France 24 reported.

Marseille's own development plan has also drawn attention. The Marseille en Grand plan, whose name means "Marseille on a Grand Scale", promised 5 billion euros, about $5.6 billion, according to The New York Times.