Eight-year-old’s protest remarks about Macron and police spark debate

An eight-year-old called Marcel drew widespread attention after insulting Emmanuel Macron and police during a live television interview at a Paris protest. He said he was demonstrating because the government would not listen to students, prompting police union representatives to criticise the language and what they saw as growing disrespect for the police.

Franceinfo said it regretted broadcasting the remarks and acknowledged that interviewing a young child live had been a mistake; it reviewed its editorial guidance. The incident came amid a fourth consecutive weekend of protests over the cost of living: the interior ministry counted 146,000 demonstrators nationwide, including 46,000 in Paris, while unions estimated 250,000 and 75,000 respectively. Clashes broke out in Paris, where police used tear gas, and 70,000 security personnel were deployed across the country.