The key facts
- Security council at Macron's on October 22; reinforcement of forces for October 24 — +20% personnel, Sentinelle, RAID, GIGN, BRI
- Intelligence failure: ~200,000 participants expected, 550,000–800,000 turned out; ~60,000 law enforcement officers failed to prevent the riots
- At the Matignon: LFI promises to 'disrupt' the meeting; Le Pen, Bardella and Philippe boycott; the mayors of Paris, Lyon and Marseille demand an independent commission
Emergency security council at the Élysée Palace
On Thursday, October 22, crisis meetings are taking place at the highest level of the state — two days before the expected 'Act II' of social mobilization following the riots and looting that accompanied last weekend's demonstrations against the high cost of living. A curfew is in effect in several cities for the third night in a row, and new gatherings are banned for today. At 10:00, Emmanuel Macron chairs a security council attended by the prime minister, the relevant ministers and 'all intelligence services.' According to the Élysée Palace, the meeting is to review 'intelligence, forecasting and security measures' for the coming weeks, as well as examine 'the failures that led to the events of last weekend.' Macron will speak at the conclusion of the council.
Admission of an intelligence failure and reinforced measures for October 24
The authorities admitted that the intelligence services significantly underestimated the scale of the mobilization on October 17: interior minister Laurent Nuñez expected about 200,000 participants, whereas between 550,000 and 800,000 were counted. Nearly 60,000 law enforcement officers deployed across the country on Saturday failed to prevent acts of vandalism on the margins of the marches, footage of which spread around the world. For the new mobilization on Saturday, October 24, security measures will be reinforced with soldiers from Operation Sentinelle and elite police and gendarmerie units — RAID, GIGN and BRI. Secretary of State for the Interior Jean-Didier Berger told BFMTV that law enforcement numbers would be increased by 20% compared with October 17.
Consultations at the Matignon and a boycott by some politicians
In the afternoon, prime minister Sébastien Lecornu will continue consultations at the Hôtel Matignon with representatives of the parliamentary parties, including on a possible 'change' in the doctrine of maintaining public order. In a letter to the parties, he wrote: 'Together with the interior minister, I want to talk with them about the police. We are told that the police kill or maim. And for the past two days we have been hearing: what is the police doing? This is a very French politico-media schizophrenia.' Security at campaign rallies for the presidential election is also expected to be on the agenda. A number of candidates in the 2027 election will skip the meeting: Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella (National Rally) and former prime minister Édouard Philippe. On the other hand, Greens leader Marine Tondelier, Socialist primary winner Raphaël Glucksmann and Republicans chairman Bruno Retailleau confirmed their participation.
La France Insoumise promises to 'disrupt' the meeting
Since the riots of October 17, the government and La France Insoumise have traded accusations: the authorities reproach the radical left for 'pouring oil on the fire,' while LFI accuses the authorities of a 'let it all rot' strategy and of lacking a political response to demands it considers legitimate — in particular, the demands of schoolchildren. Jean-Luc Mélenchon will be represented by LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard. On Tuesday, responding to supporters regarding the prime minister's letter, the movement's leader set the tone: 'We will go, we will disrupt your meeting!' He was reacting, in particular, to Lecornu's remark that 'no disagreements, no anger, no political ambitions can justify resorting to violence.' 'Are you going to make us sign a certificate? Do you really think we will do that? Of course not!' Mélenchon retorted. A few hours before the meeting, Bompard wrote that he would come to the Matignon to demand 'apologies,' 'explanations' and 'political answers to the mobilization of the French.'
Mayors of Paris, Lyon and Marseille demand answers from the state
The consultations will not be limited to the parties: the mayors of the three major cities hit hardest by the riots — Paris, Lyon and Marseille — will be received. The Green mayor of Lyon, Grégoire Doucet, according to his team, is coming 'with the aim of obtaining explanations about the chain of events that led to the state failing to properly anticipate Saturday's events.' Earlier in the week, the three mayors — Grégoire Doucet, Emmanuel Grégoire and Benoît Payan — in a joint column in Libération complained about 'the feeling that entire neighborhoods' of their cities, although 'accustomed' to popular protests, were left 'without protection.' The mayors called for the creation of 'an independent commission on the order-maintenance strategy applied that day,' as well as the establishment of 'an exceptional national solidarity fund' to finance the repair of the damage.
