Paris protesters in helmets march during La Fete a Macron to protest policies of President Emmanuel Macron. Gerard Julien / AFP
Paris protesters in helmets march during La Fete a Macron to protest policies of President Emmanuel Macron. Gerard Julien / AFP

Paris orders 2,000 police on the streets for Macron protests



Paris police have ordered 2,000 police to the streets while activists called for calm ahead of the anniversary of President Emmanuel Macron's inauguration.

Thousands of demonstrators converged on central Paris to protest against Mr Macron’s sweeping economic reforms. Critics claim the changes favour companies and France's wealthiest citizens.

Riot police were deployed as marchers gathered from midday in the central Opera square for a protest dubbed a “Party for Macron”, a tongue-in-cheek “celebration” of the 40-year-old centrist’s first anniversary in power.

Organisers had urged participants to attend in a party mood – but the high security owed much to hundreds of black-clad youths having torched cars and a McDonald’s restaurant during traditional 1 May demonstrations in the capital, prompting fears that more “black bloc” protesters could hijack today’s event.

_______________

Read more:

_______________

Protest officials insisted the march would be “joyful and festive”, although government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux expressed fears the demonstration could turn violent. He noted that the protest’s name, “fête à Macron”, can have a double meaning in French – either celebrating someone, or trying to do them harm.

Some supporters of the left-wing populist La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party brandished anti-Macron banners with slogans including "down with the president of the rich" and "no to a social coup d'etat".

Numerous university faculties have been blocked by protests against Mr Macron's plans to make university access more selective, causing major disruption to students starting their summer exams. The Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris is facing sit-ins against Mr Macron's shake-up of the education system. Train drivers and others also object to Macron's overhaul of France's national state-owned railway company, the SNCF, aimed at reducing its massive debts and making it more competitive.

Violence scarred May Day protests in Paris earlier this week. French police used water cannons and teargas to stop masked protesters smashing shop windows and throwing petrol bombs on Tuesday evening. More than 100 people were arrested.

While the government criticised the May Day riots, leftist politician Jean-Luc Melenchon said Mr Macron "can't stand any opposition".

A member of Mr Melenchon's La France Insoumise party initiated Saturday's demonstrations.

Mr Macron marks his first year as president on Monday.

Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
  • Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos

Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
​​​​​​​

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

Sunday's Super Four matches

Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan

Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETHE%20SPECS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EEngine%3A%203.5-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%209-speed%20automatc%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20279hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20350Nm%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh250%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A