French President Emmanuel Macron said the country felt anger and shame following widespread violence over the weekend and called for order to be restored.
Protests in several cities descended into clashes between police and demonstrators, sparking some of France’s worst street violence in years, with looting and landmarks set on fire.
“The country needs order, peace, and not an escalation,” Macron said in a Sunday night address. He added that regional officials known as prefects would make decisions with mayors on how to protect public buildings and businesses, including banning marches when necessary.
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