France is preparing for another day of protests, with more than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes due to be deployed as authorities seek to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violence.
Demonstrations over deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living are planned in several cities, although authorities have banned a number of marches and imposed restrictions on others.
The heightened security operation follows unrest on October 17, when largely peaceful protests were followed by looting, vandalism and clashes. Official figures showed that more than 2,000 people were taken into police custody, while thousands of businesses were damaged or ransacked.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 20 per cent more officers would be deployed than during the previous weekend. The operation will also include RAID, an elite unit normally used for counterterrorism and other high-risk interventions, although Mr Nunez said its officers would not take part directly in crowd control.
Protest bans provoke criticism
President Emmanuel Macron has said requests from trade unions would be considered by local authorities, while demonstrations organised by other groups would be prohibited wherever possible.
Marches have been banned in central areas of Montpellier, Rouen and Nice, while Lyon has prohibited demonstrations in its city centre. In Marseille, a union-organised protest has been authorised under strict conditions.
In Paris, unions will lead a march from Porte d’Italie to Porte de Vincennes along the Boulevards des Marechaux between 1pm and 7pm. The original route between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation was prohibited.
The restrictions have drawn criticism from rights groups. Amnesty International France said: “This security escalation comes at the expense of our freedoms, seriously endangering the right to demonstrate peacefully and raising fears of a further escalation of violence in our country.”
Businesses in central Paris have closed, with some shop windows covered by protective panels and retailers hiring private security. At least 24 Metro stations have been shut at the request of the police prefecture.
The Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay are among the cultural institutions closed for the day, while Art Basel Paris has cancelled its weekend programme.
Student movement broadens
The protests began in mid-September, when high school students blockaded schools over poor conditions, including dilapidated buildings and teacher shortages. They have also condemned what they consider an unfair system for gaining access to higher education.
Mr Macron met student representatives on Friday for the first time since the demonstrations began. He promised additional teachers and a major overhaul of Parcoursup, the university admissions system, but the meeting did not ease tensions.
Student representatives said they would continue mobilising until the government set out concrete measures. The movement has since attracted wider anger over living costs, inequality and the president’s leadership.
More than half a million people joined protests on October 17 after calls from student organisations and remnants of the Yellow Vest movement.
The unrest comes six months before a pivotal presidential election. Mr Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term and is due to leave office in 2027.
The violence has renewed attention on the far right, with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally holding its party congress in Orleans on Saturday to mark the beginning of its presidential campaign.
Authorities expect between 20,000 and 30,000 people to attend a counter-demonstration against the party, prompting a major security operation in the city.
