French President Emmanuel Macron said he felt "shame" over the violence that followed the October 17 mobilization, according to Le Monde.fr. In remarks reported by the outlet, he also said those who caused destruction must pay, and that his government would respond to what he called the legitimate demands of demonstrators.
Macron's comments came as he addressed the country, with the Élysée publishing an address to the French. RTL reports that he promised full transparency regarding how public order was maintained during the protests.
The unrest did not end with the demonstration itself. According to franceinfo, fresh clashes broke out and shops were looted in Paris, Lyon and Marseille the day after the October 17 march. Le Monde.fr described the mood in the capital in the aftermath, quoting people who said anger had been building up.
The government now faces pressure on two fronts: accounting for the policing of the demonstrations and addressing the grievances that brought people into the streets. Macron's pledge of transparency on crowd control and his commitment to answer protesters' demands set out how the authorities intend to respond, though the reporting so far gives no detail on what measures might follow.
What to watch next: whether the government sets out concrete responses to the demonstrators' demands and how the promised transparency over policing is delivered.