French authorities ban some student protests after weekend looting and clashes

Hundreds of student protesters were at a standstill in Paris on Thursday afternoon, chanting, singing and standing firm, despite being surrounded by a heavy police presence. This is important because if we give in to pressure and fear, we won't achieve anything. We have to take action. We can't give up because no one is listening to us and we'll keep going until they do. The demonstration in front of the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital was authorized to go ahead on Thursday after a city court overturned an initial police ban. But at around 3pm, the prefecture stepped in and said the planned march could not take place. Instead of walking towards Bastille, many protesters dispersed, frustrated at how they had been treated. Local and state authorities have been wrestling with how to approach new major demonstrations planned for this Saturday after the October 17th cost-of-living protests were overshadowed by violence and looting. Lyon, Nice, Toulon and Grenoble are among those that have imposed complete bans on public gatherings. While on Thursday, the French president announced new nationwide measures and said so-called illegitimate protests would not be allowed. The rules are simple. The general recommendation is that there should be no protests in the coming days. For people who want to continue protesting, when there are labour unions, prefects will suggest alternative routes. When they're not organised by labour unions, protests will be banned wherever possible. An even greater security presence is expected across France throughout the weekend. While in Paris, a march set to start at Bastille has been banned from heading into the city's centre and commerce-heavy neighbourhoods.