French President [Emmanuel Macron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Macron) on Tuesday condemned individuals he described as “dissenters” for looting and vandalising cities across France during the latest wave of cost‑of‑living protests, and announced a series of measures aimed at restoring order.
**Key actions announced**
- Macron said he had commissioned a review to assess whether intelligence services or police forces had failed to anticipate the unrest that later turned violent.
- He indicated that [prefects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefect_(France)) and mayors could be granted authority to prohibit specific gatherings when deemed necessary.
- The president called for a round‑table this week involving students, teachers, legislators, trade‑union leaders and business executives to develop concrete proposals for tackling the crisis.
"Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it. Tonight, we all feel anger and shame," Macron declared in a televised address, adding that the nation shared a collective sense of shame over the incidents.
**What did the president say about the protests?**
He questioned the motives of those causing the damage, asking, “What was going through their minds? How can French people do this to France?”
The president stressed that the upcoming discussions would aim to build solutions together, though he provided no further details on the specific measures that might emerge.
(Reuters/NAN)