French authorities failed to foresee the scale of the mass protests that swept the country on October 17.
Globalinfo.az reports that President Emmanuel Macron said this during a speech in Marseille.
About 550,000 people took part in the demonstrations held that day.
According to Macron, the authorities did not expect radical left-wing groups and criminal elements to join the protests, so not enough police were deployed to maintain public order.
The president said social media had contributed to the rise in violence and the mobilisation of riot participants.
He stressed that discontent over the cost of living should be answered with dialogue and social measures, while security measures would be strengthened against acts of violence.
Aliyar Khalil
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