French President Emmanuel Macron blamed social media on the 26th (local time) for the recent large-scale protests across France that escalated into violence.

According to AFP and Reuters, President Macron visited Marseille and told reporters that it is "not normal" for such unrest to break out half a year ahead of the presidential election.

In Marseille, a protest on the 17th against poor educational environments and high inflation turned violent, leading to the occupation of the city hall and the destruction of a bust of Marianne, a symbol of France.

President Macron argued, "Social media damages our democracy because it becomes a tool that radicalizes, desensitizes people to violent scenes, and in some cases, encourages the worst impulses."

President Macron emphasized, "We will not back down," adding, "If we do our job properly, this situation will subside because we will examine legitimate demands and order will be maintained."

In France, student protests protesting poor educational conditions began last month and spread nationwide, joined by movements protesting a lack of public sector investment and rising prices, keeping nationwide demonstrations ongoing.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)