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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers an address to the nation regarding violent protests. / Reuters, Yonhap

French President Emmanuel Macron has faced a critical late-term crisis as nationwide protests escalated into violence, including looting and arson. While President Macron signaled a firm response, declaring that acts of violence "cannot be forgiven," French law enforcement has been put to the test between excessive force and policing failures.

According to foreign media reports including AFP and Reuters on the 19th, President Macron stated in an address to the nation the previous day regarding the looting and violence during the protests that he felt "anger and shame," adding, "Nothing can justify or explain this, and it cannot be forgiven for any reason." He also asked, "How could French citizens do this to France?"

President Macron laid out a hard-line response policy while separating the demands of citizens participating peacefully in protests from acts of violence. He authorized mayors and prefects appointed by the central government to ban specific rallies where necessary, and ordered an investigation into whether there were shortcomings in intelligence gathering and police preparedness regarding the violence. However, he refrained from declaring a state of emergency as demanded in some quarters.

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Looting taking advantage of escalating protests. / AFP, Yonhap

The problem lies in the intensity of law enforcement's response. If looting and arson are left unchecked, avoiding criticism of a policing failure is difficult, yet moving toward a harsh crackdown could fuel growing controversy over infringements on fundamental rights and excessive force. In particular, as the protests originated from demonstrations by high school students demanding improvements to the educational environment, the police's use of physical force against minors has emerged as a sensitive issue.

In fact, during recent police crackdowns, a 14-year-old boy suffered a broken jaw, and a police officer was filmed putting a girl in a headlock—a technique banned in France—sparking controversy. Criticisms are also being raised over the use of crowd-control equipment such as tear gas and water cannons. Conversely, with large numbers of police officers also injured during the unrest, pressure to rein in violent protests remains intense.

President Macron putting dialogue on the table alongside hard-line measures is also not unrelated to this situation. He urged the government to craft concrete solutions with the participation of students, teachers, lawmakers, labor union representatives, and business leaders, stating, "We must sit around the negotiating table and forge solutions together."

                                                                                                            Nam Mi-kyung