What’s going on?
French President Emmanuel Macron announced new restrictions on protests, limiting them to union-led demonstrations. This decision follows escalating unrest and violence linked to protests in France. Macron’s government signalled that future protests must be sanctioned to prevent chaos.

BBC headlines state, “French weekend protests to be limited to union demos only, says Macron,” emphasising the tightening of protest regulations. In contrast, Reuters reports, “France’s Macron tightens curbs on protests, blaming hard left for unrest,” which highlights a perceived political cause for the unrest. The differing focuses reflect contrasting narratives on the motivations behind the protests and government actions.

Coverage analysed: BBC | Reuters