French leftists plan major Paris protest Saturday as absent Macron vows no repeat to riots

Left-wing groups in France are planning another major march in Paris on Saturday, as French president Emmanuel Macron—currently abroad on a Middle East trip—insisted on Wednesday that there would be no repeat of last weekend’s violence.The “Gilets Jaunes,” or Yellow Vests movement, a grassroots group that led some of last week’s demonstrations, presented plans on Wednesday for a march across central Paris, including areas that saw widespread looting and vandalism mere days ago.Student groups have also called for protests this Saturday to push demands for greater education spending, which was ostensibly the cause of the recent unrest.The Yellow Vests campaign, which first emerged in 2018, protests against what it says are rising living costs and declining public services.President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from Qatar, where he is meeting with Gulf State leaders to try and bring down oil prices, looked to project an image of strength as he deals with the worst unrest France has faced in a generation.“Those who want to cause disorder in city centers next Saturday will be prevented from doing so,” he told reporters. “There must be no wavering at the top of the state.”Macron also blamed foreign leaders — including President Trump — of spreading misinformation about the unrest in his country.The Trump blamed the riots on radical Islam and mass migration, adding that they were a warning to Americans.Asked if he was referring to President Trump with his comments, Macron responded, “among others, before adding: “We don’t need that.We already have difficulties to deal with.”The French government said it would deploy the army onto the streets this weekend alongside additional police as part of a vastly reinforced security operation.Back home in France, Macron’s Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, met with labor union leaders in an effort to try and defuse tensions and prevent further crippling unrest, which has already sent French government ...