Paris |  President Emmanuel Macron asked French citizens to come together in the aftermath of the calamitous fire at Notre Dame Cathedral and to move beyond the divisions that have wrenched the country during months of violent street protests.

Macron, who has faced a virtual uprising against his pro-business government, sought to rally a country still devastated by the fire and turn the profound, yet undoubtedly fleeting, moment of national mourning and unity to his advantage.