PARIS, France: France will deploy around 70,000 police and security personnel nationwide on Saturday as authorities prepare for fresh demonstrations following widespread violence during protests last weekend.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the deployment on Friday, warning that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media.
The protests began among secondary school students demanding improved learning conditions before spreading nationwide amid broader concerns over rising living costs.
President Emmanuel Macron met student representatives on Friday, but they urged demonstrators to continue protesting until the government presented concrete proposals addressing their demands.
Security tightened
Authorities have imposed restrictions on demonstrations in several cities, including Paris, Lyon and Orleans.
In Paris, police withdrew permission for a union-led march between Bastille and Nation squares, proposing an alternative route. Unions said they intended to proceed along the original route.
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In Orleans, where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party is holding its congress, authorities expect between 20,000 and 30,000 counter-demonstrators.
Security deployments will be approximately 20 per cent higher than last weekend.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said 217 people had already been imprisoned over the previous Saturday’s unrest, including many first-time offenders.
Rights groups express concern
Amnesty International criticised restrictions on demonstrations, warning that they threatened the right to peaceful assembly.
Human Rights Watch researcher Eva Cosse said police must protect peaceful protesters while preventing violent disorder.
She also expressed concern over reports of children being seriously injured by crowd-control weapons.
The unrest comes six months before France’s presidential election, with political tensions intensifying.
A Harris Interactive poll for M6/RTL placed Le Pen at 33–35 per cent in first-round voting intentions.
Meanwhile, major Paris museums, including the Louvre, will remain closed on Saturday, while the Art Basel art fair has been shortened amid security concerns.
