Macron vows accountability amid ongoing protests across France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday vowed to hold accountable those who "sought to bring down the Republic," in an address to the nation following a wave of violent nationwide protests.

"I am speaking to you this evening at a moment of extreme seriousness, after what we experienced yesterday in many cities across France, both in the mainland and overseas," Macron said in his address.

He said "agitators from ultra-left groups, joined by numerous delinquents, engaged in unrestrained violence in our cities," noting that shops were looted and public buildings, stores, and town halls were attacked.

Macron drew a distinction between violent groups and the broader public, noting that several hundred thousand citizens demonstrated with legitimate demands regarding the cost of living and fuel prices stemming from a conflict in the Persian Gulf.

Stressing accountability, Macron warned that "judges administer justice in your name, and they know what you expect. Whenever offenses are committed, they must lead to appropriate legal proceedings.

"Those who have destroyed must pay; those who have looted must reimburse. Those who have sought to bring down the Republic will have to answer for it," he added.

Macron also announced that the prime minister would convene students, teachers, union representatives, local authorities, and parliamentarians starting this week to work on concrete proposals and solutions.

The presidential address came as hundreds of protesters gathered again on Sunday at the Place de la République in Paris amid a heavy police presence.

Officers used tear gas when tensions flared sporadically in the neighborhood, with small groups of people trying to set bicycles and trash bins on fire.