France deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes for nationwide demonstrations, 10,000 more than the deployment for the October 17 protests
Police used tear gas and water cannon in several cities as clashes broke out, while shops, museums and public transport services in Paris faced precautionary closures
The protests have been fuelled by anger over living costs, inequality and public service cuts, prompting authorities to tighten security after last weekend’s looting and unrest
France deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on Saturday, as protesters took to the streets across the country, with authorities seeking to prevent a repeat of the widespread violence and looting reported a week earlier.
The demonstrations have been driven by anger over the cost of living, public service cuts and rising inequality under President Emmanuel Macron, Reuters reported. While tens of thousands marched peacefully through Paris, clashes and confrontations with police were reported in several other cities.
The security deployment was 10,000 personnel larger than the one mobilised for October 17, when demonstrations escalated into widespread unrest, Reuters reported.
Security Tightened
In a statement issued on Friday, the Interior Ministry said groups had attacked government buildings, looted shops and violently confronted security forces during the previous weekend’s mobilisation.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez directed regional prefects to assess demonstration notifications and proposed routes, taking into account the reliability of organisers, the availability of event security teams and the risk of further violence or property destruction.
Authorities were also instructed to conduct checks at railway stations and major transport routes to identify people carrying objects that could be used as weapons and detain those suspected of preparing violent acts.
The ministry said specialised units, including the RAID, the Research and Intervention Brigades (BRI) and the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), would be deployed. It warned that offences against people and property would be met with systematic intervention.
Clashes In Several Cities
Police fired tear gas at demonstrators in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille and Nice, where water cannon were also used after some protesters refused orders to move back, Reuters reported. Clashes between police and hooded youths were also reported in Marseille and Lyon.
By early afternoon, police had arrested 135 people nationwide, Reuters reported, citing the interior minister. Nuñez said searches before the demonstrations had uncovered fireworks, ball bearings and other objects that could be used as weapons.
In Paris, thousands marched against the government’s economic policies, while shops boarded up their windows and several museums and cultural institutions closed as a precaution. More than 20 metro stations were shut.
The security measures follow a week of disruption in which businesses were damaged or looted and the Vérines barracks of the Republican Guard in Paris came under attack. France’s National Gendarmerie said on Saturday that officials were reviewing protective measures for its installations after the incident.
The government has warned that demonstrations could be restricted or prohibited in areas where authorities identify a serious risk of further looting or destruction.
