Key facts
- President Macron announced plans to ban "illegitimate" protests.
- Macron blamed "seditious" ultra-left groups and vandals for recent riots and looting.
- Businesses in central Paris boarded up windows in anticipation of potential violence.
- Yields on France's 10-year government bonds rose above those on US Treasuries for the first time since 2013.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests would be banned in the coming days, blaming "seditious" ultra-left groups and vandals for recent riots and looting. Macron stated that demonstrations organised by groups such as trade unions would be allowed but could be diverted to protect businesses. The comments came as authorities prepared for fresh protests following some of the country's worst urban unrest in years. Businesses in central Paris began boarding up shop windows in anticipation of potential violence, and yields on France's 10-year government bonds rose above those on US Treasuries for the first time since 2013.