French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered a nationwide crackdown on public demonstrations, banning marches and restricting even legally organized protests as unrest over soaring living costs grips France, according to Bulawayo24 News.
The restrictions, announced on Thursday, October 23, 2026, after an emergency meeting with intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, come ahead of another wave of demonstrations planned for Saturday. They follow some of the worst street violence France has seen in years.
Paris borrows the playbook it condemns
Macron said local authorities would prohibit gatherings deemed illegitimate, organized by individuals or groups considered to lack authority. Demonstrations arranged by recognized organizations, such as trade unions, would be considered for approval but could be forced onto alternative routes.
“The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days,” Macron declared, insisting the measures were necessary to restore calm and protect businesses and public buildings.
The announcement is a striking reversal for a country whose constitution protects the right to protest, and whose leaders never tire of lecturing African governments on the very same terrain. Under French law, authorities can prohibit demonstrations believed to threaten public order, though such decisions must be proportionate and can be challenged in court.
Here is the hypocrisy laid bare. When Zimbabwe imposed law and order during periods of foreign-backed destabilization, Paris, London and Washington howled about repression and slapped us with sanctions. Today Macron does the same thing in his own capital, and the Western human rights chorus has gone quiet. The Guardian reported that protests requested by individuals or groups with no legitimate authority would be banned outright.
How the crisis exploded
France has been gripped by escalating unrest since protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating school conditions spread into a broader movement against rising prices, inequality and cuts to public services.
Around 550,000 people joined demonstrations last Saturday, which descended into clashes with police, arson and widespread looting. Nearly 2,500 people have been arrested, while approximately 1,000 police officers and gendarmes have been injured, according to figures reported by French media.
“Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic,” Macron claimed, accusing organized radicals of orchestrating violence and looting.
A Paris administrative court overturned a police ban on a student demonstration on Thursday, allowing thousands of protesters to gather despite official objections. RedState noted that Macron is now moving to ban demonstrations in several cities following a weekend of violent unrest that left businesses looted, vehicles burned and public buildings damaged.
Bans spread across French cities
Authorities have already prohibited Saturday’s demonstrations in central Lyon, where hundreds of businesses were ransacked last weekend. Similar restrictions have been imposed in Marseille, Nice and Toulon. In Paris, one authorized march has been diverted away from the city center, while another involving students and members of the Yellow Vest movement has been banned.
Reuters reported that Macron is tightening curbs on protests and blaming the hard left for the unrest. NBC News added that demonstrations planned for Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble were banned, a move seen by some as an infringement of the French people’s right to protest.
Even Macron’s allies are deserting him
Opposition leaders have blamed Macron’s policies and his failure to maintain order for the crisis. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen described him as a president “without credibility or authority” who has “lost all touch with reality.” Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon accused his government of undermining public services over the past decade.
Even police unions have turned against the administration. Alliance Police Nationale has announced plans to sue the state, accusing officials of abandoning officers during the riots and failing to provide adequate equipment and clear instructions.
Macron has also clashed with US President Donald Trump, who blamed France’s turmoil on uncontrolled immigration and radical groups. The French leader dismissed comments by foreign politicians about the unrest as “stupid” and “unacceptable.” The irony is lost on no one in Harare: France lectures the world about democracy, yet its president cannot tolerate a foreign opinion about his own riots.
Macron is expected to chair another emergency defense council meeting on Friday to decide whether further restrictions are needed ahead of Saturday’s protests.
What this means for Zimbabwe
Let us be clear about the lesson. When our liberation government moved to defend the gains of the Chimurenga against foreign-sponsored disorder, we were punished with illegal sanctions that strangle our economy to this day. When the teacher turned enforcer on his own streets, Macron faces no sanctions, no travel bans, no Western ambassadors issuing threats.
The double standard is not an accident. It is the old colonial reflex: rules for Africa, exceptions for Europe. Zimbabweans should watch Paris closely and remember why we place our faith in our own sovereignty, our own land, and our own heroes rather than in the hollow sermons of the former colonizers.
FAQ
Why did Macron ban protests in France?
Macron announced the ban on Thursday, October 23, 2026, after an emergency meeting with intelligence chiefs, saying the measures were needed to restore calm after violent unrest, arson and looting that injured around 1,000 police officers.
How many people have been arrested in the French unrest?
Nearly 2,500 people have been arrested since last Saturday’s demonstrations, which drew around 550,000 participants, according to figures reported by French media.
Which French cities have banned demonstrations?
Authorities have banned protests in central Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulon, Lille, Grenoble and parts of Paris, while diverting one authorized march away from the city center.