France President Emmanuel Macron promises strong measures to assuage protests

French President Emmanuel Macron promised on Monday that his government would announce a package of measures in response to weeks of street protests over a broad set of grievances, while acknowledging the risk of more unrest ahead.His prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, is set to hold a news conference after a meeting with unions of high school students who want more resources for the education sector and an overhaul of a university admissions process they say embeds inequalities.“I have … asked the government to respond to the legitimate demands that lie at the root of this social movement,” Macron told reporters in Marseille, where he traveled to inspect the damage from earlier protests.Macron repeated what Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said earlier that more unrest is expected next weekend.The protests show little sign of easing after violence nine days ago engulfed dozens of cities, leading to fears the state had lost control of the streets.In response to the turmoil, the interior ministry deployed 70,000 police for Saturday’s demonstrations, which unions called to denounce the high cost of living and public services.The movement has grown far beyond initial student discontent, drawing in trade unions and “yellow vest” activists, known for their high-visibility jackets and mass demonstrations against economic pressures including high fuel costs.Nunez said the huge police presence prevented a repeat of violence seen earlier this month, but asked by BFM TV on Monday whether he expected further disturbances during demonstrations planned for October 31, he replied: “Clearly, yes.”“Halloween evening is traditionally always a bit lively.We expect it to be complicated again,” he added.Nunez said 1,435 people were arrested nationwide during Saturday’s demonstrations and said police had also recorded a new phenomenon, with organized far-right gangs confronting far-left activists in several cities.“We knew there had been calls from numerous ident...