France is bracing for another round of nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez saying on Friday that online messages urging violence and looting had been detected and that 70,000 police officers would be deployed to keep order. Nunez promised a tough response to rioters and looters after a week in which Paris and other major cities were hit by violent unrest.
- Key Point: Nunez said 70,000 officers would be mobilized, backed by elite units, mounted police, heavy vehicles, helicopters, water cannon, drones and equipment to counter drones.
- Key Point: Paris approved only one march, organized by the CGT union on a limited route, while rejecting requests from the UNEF student union and the Yellow Vest movement; UNEF said it would protest anyway and backers of the Yellow Vests were expected to take part in the CGT event.
- Key Point: Overnight curfews from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. were set for two central Paris squares; Marseille’s blanket protest ban was reversed to permit one union demonstration, and authorities planned to keep protesters out of central Lyon.
- Key Point: President Emmanuel Macron met secondary school delegates for the first time, but student leader Nathanael Combary said the group was not satisfied and called for continued mobilization.
Security plan follows a violent weekend
The deployment comes a week after riots spread through Paris and other large cities. The political confrontation began with students who wanted improved campuses, additional teachers and other changes in education, but it has widened into broader anger about the cost of living. Last Saturday, the demonstrations turned violent, and authorities blamed radical militants and groups of young looters for exploiting protesters’ anger to create chaos. Police confronted masked looters who burned cars and buildings, and thousands of shops were ransacked.
Nunez called the unrest "completely unacceptable" and said the authorities "will do everything in our power" to prevent a repeat.
In Paris, shopkeepers boarded up windows, and the city council told households and merchants to clear away anything flammable or usable as a missile or barrier.
"We will be uncompromising with rioters, looters and all those who commit acts of violence," Nunez said. "We will be extremely vigilant," he added, vowing to "let absolutely nothing pass."
The force will include regular officers along with elite units, mounted police, heavy vehicles, helicopters, water cannon, drones and equipment to counter drones.
Curfews, bans and a single authorized march
Authorities will keep curfews in designated areas, including overnight limits from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. in two central squares of Paris, according to local police. For Saturday, police approved only the CGT march on a limited route through the capital. They turned down applications from UNEF, France’s largest student union, and the anti-establishment Yellow Vests. UNEF pledged to proceed with its own protest regardless, while backers of the Yellow Vests were expected to take part in the authorized CGT march.
In Marseille, France’s second largest city, authorities first banned all protests, then reversed that decision and allowed a union demonstration. In Lyon, the third most populous city, the plan was to keep demonstrators away from the center. The government of centrist President Emmanuel Macron has tried to draw a line between legitimate protest and violent unrest. Macron rejected claims that Islamist extremists or migrants were behind the violence, but he singled out far-left groups and said they were attempting a coup.
Student talks end without a breakthrough
On Friday, Macron met delegates from secondary schools for the first time. Afterward, the pupils called for additional demonstrations.
"We are not satisfied," said Nathanael Combary, who is president of the campaign group High School Renewal. He described Macron as "attentive," but said pupils still awaited concrete proposals for their Monday meeting with the prime minister. He urged students to "continue to mobilize" and keep a "standoff" with the government.
The coming weekend will test whether the security buildup can prevent a repeat of last week’s destruction while the government insists it is not suppressing legitimate dissent. With students threatening further action and unions pressing ahead, the authorities face a narrow path: showing force against violence without confirming the charge that peaceful protest is being squeezed. The Monday meeting with the prime minister is likely to determine whether the student movement keeps up its pressure or pauses to assess the government’s offers.