Live: Macron meets with student representatives and law enforcement ahead of new protests

Home Europe Issued on: 23/10/2026 - 07:06Modified: 23/10/2026 - 07:20 French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting of the security council at the Élysée Palace in Paris on October 22, 2026. © Teresa Suarez, AP French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting with high school student representatives Friday for the first time since the month-long student protests over teacher shortages and run-down schools began. The president is also holding a "defence council" to prepare for Saturday's planned demonstrations. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Yesterday's key developments: Lyon and Marseille banned all demonstrations on Saturday ahead of a new round of planned nationwide protests against France's rising cost of living. French President Emmanuel Macron said after meeting with intelligence services that all demonstrations not organised by workers unions would be banned. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met with representatives from France's political parties. Manuel Bompard, party coordinator of the left-wing France Unbowed, accused the premier of having wasted their time by refusing to address the demands of the weeks-long student protest movement. A French administ...