Macron Condemns Rioting and Looting in France, Vows Action Against Violence

French President Emmanuel Macron has voiced profound 'anger and shame' over what he termed as violent protesters' attempts to 'bring down the republic'. In a national televised address on Sunday, Macron pledged that those involved in rioting and looting would 'pay for their crimes', following a Saturday that witnessed some of the most severe urban unrest in France in recent years. The nation's Interior Ministry reported that approximately 2,400 individuals were arrested on Saturday, with around 1,000 police officers and gendarmes sustaining injuries. Macron emphasized the need to differentiate between protesters with 'legitimate demands' and 'those who destroyed, smashed, and looted'. The president announced the establishment of a 'crisis unit' to offer 'urgent aid... for those who are going through difficult moments'. He also stated that 'lessons will be learned' from the destructive violence that erupted over the weekend. 'We need to be clear: yesterday, our law enforcement officers and officials, despite their professionalism, were subjected to unprecedented violence in several cities,' Macron stated. 'I’ve asked the government to provide all the lessons learned and to be able to anticipate it to make sure that this does not happen again,' he added, calling for 'unity, calm and respect.' Reporting from Paris, Al Jazeera's Natacha Butler commented that Macron’s speech offered 'perhaps no surprises' and questioned its effectiveness in placating protesters, who she noted are 'fed up of hearing these sorts of speeches by the French president'. The protests are rapidly becoming a political issue for parties seeking public support ahead of next year's presidential elections. Left-wing presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon attributed the destruction during the protests 'solely' to the French government, asserting it had 'failed to organise the maintenance of public order'. Far-right presidential hopeful Jordan Bardella described Macron’s Sunday address as 'lamentable' and 'cowardly', arguing that the government has nothing left to offer the French people and 'cannot even protect them'.