Officials have banned “all protests” in France’s third-biggest city of Lyon on Saturday, ahead of nationwide demonstrations that day following rallies last weekend that descended into widespread street violence.
The prefecture for the Rhone region said on Thursday in a statement to media that, “given the events of October 17, the prefect has decided to ban by decree all protests in the city of Lyon this Saturday, October 24.”
Lyon, like Paris and other French cities, suffered clashes and looting when masked youths took to city center streets on the sidelines of mass rallies protesting high inflation.
The mayor of Lyon, Gregory Doucet, has said that his city experienced hours of “chaos” during the riots, with between 150 and 200 shops looted and a tourist office torched. Police arrested some 200 people.
The organizers of the rallies, the Yellow Vest movement and unions, have called for another round of nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living on Saturday, and a general strike and demonstrations on November 5.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that “illegitimate” protests would be banned in 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.
Source of information: News Agency e.g.: REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU /Al Jazeera / CNN / AlArabiya
No comments :
Post a Comment
Only News