French government under pressure after weekend of violence

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of violence and looting during protests against the rising cost of living. Public buildings, shops and town halls were attacked. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to pursue those responsible. Our judges administer justice in your name and they know what you expect. Whenever offences are committed, they must lead to appropriate legal proceedings. Those who have destroyed must pay. Those who sought to bring down the Republic will have to answer. Macron drew a distinction between the rioters and the broader public, noting that many protesters had legitimate demands. We cannot ask our youth to believe in the future without giving them the opportunity to build the answers and sit at the table. Yes, we need to sit around the table and build solutions together. Students, teachers, representatives of employer and union organisations, local authorities and parliamentarians will work with the government starting this week on concrete proposals. The Prime Minister will bring them together in the coming days for this purpose. Hundreds of protesters gathered again on Sunday at the Place de la République in Paris amid a heavy police presence. Officers used tear gas as pockets of violence flared up and more than 350 people were arrested.