France ushered in a new wave of protests over the weekend, with authorities pledging to do all they can to prevent looting, violence and vandalism. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that speech inciting violence and looting had appeared online and pledged to deploy 70,000 police officers across the country to maintain order.
French police have arrested 135 people and seized a variety of weapons during the deployment of police forces in response to demonstrations in various places. Nunez announced the news and said police have been ordered to prevent street violence from happening again.
He said the items seized by police included metal pellets, lead bullets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, homemade weapons, a samurai sword and airsoft weapons.
He also said that so far, "no major incidents have occurred."
"We will never tolerate those who participate in riots, looting, and all those who engage in violence," Nunez told reporters on Friday. He also introduced that in addition to regular police forces, the authorities will deploy elite police forces, mounted police and heavy vehicles, and be equipped with helicopters, high-pressure water cannons, drones and anti-drone systems: "We will remain highly vigilant" and vowed to "never let anything go."
On Friday, Macron met for the first time with representatives of secondary school students. However, after the talks, students called for more protests.
"We are not satisfied," said student representative Nathanel Combari, president of the student advocacy group High School Reform.
He told reporters that the president "listened carefully" to students during the talks, but students were still waiting for concrete plans. Relevant plans are expected to be presented at a meeting with the prime minister on Monday.
He called on other students to "continue mobilization" and maintain a "confrontation" with the government.
France's "yellow vest" movement has been one of the main forces in recent protests against the high cost of living. The movement on Saturday called for a new round of demonstrations on October 31.
Organizers of the largely rural group said in Paris they planned to hold another rally and sit-ins outside parliament buildings and city halls across the country to protest what they said was President Macron's "authoritarian tendencies."
"Next Saturday we will protest for the freedom to demonstrate, and for all the freedoms we enjoy," a coordinator of the group told reporters at Place de la Bastille in Paris.
Between 2018 and 2020, the "yellow vest" movement played a central role in protests against rising fuel prices. It went dormant for a while, but has recently returned to the public eye with the new wave of demonstrations currently sweeping France.
Nunez said authorities will continue to enforce the curfew in designated areas of the city. Local police said that restrictions will be implemented in two squares in central Paris from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.
Police have only approved a demonstration organized by France's General Trade Union (CGT), which will take place on a restricted route in Paris on Saturday. The authorities rejected some requests for independent gatherings from France's largest student union, the National Union of Secondary School Students (UNEF), and the "Yellow Vest" movement. However, student groups said they would still protest, and some supporters of the "yellow vest" movement were expected to join allowed union marches.
The current political impasse began with student demands for better school facilities, more teachers and other reforms to the education system, but has since evolved into an outpouring of widespread dissatisfaction over the high cost of living. Last Saturday (October 17), the protest escalated into violent riots. Authorities blamed militants and groups of young looters for taking advantage of the situation and causing mayhem.
The French government has tried to distinguish between what it sees as legitimate protests and violent unrest. Macron himself has dismissed suggestions that Islamic extremists and immigrants are behind the violence. However, he pointed the finger at far-left groups, accusing them of trying to stage a coup.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned a shooting near Paris on Friday. The incident resulted in one death and five injuries, including a 12-year-old girl.
Macron called the attack a "turning point": "This was an act of terrorism in which the attackers deliberately killed our fellow citizens and our children, targeting those who were targeted because of the color of their skin or their religion."
The victims were reported to be of "African origin" and most of the injured were also of foreign background.
The shooting is likely to further escalate tensions at weekend protests. After previous protests in several French cities turned violent, some on the far right blamed immigrants for the violence.
The French far-right National Rally (RN) holds a two-day congress in Orleans on Saturday. Orleans is located approximately 110 kilometers south of Paris. Trade unions, left-wing parties, student groups and anti-racism groups are expected to stage protests against the conference.
The conference will be chaired by Marine Le Pen. She is the party's leading candidate in France's presidential election six months later.
Authorities fear that opponents may clash with Le Pen's supporters. Le Pen advocates nationalist and anti-immigration policies. She has gained political momentum from the recent protests by taking a tough stance on policing and citing so-called "disorderly immigration" as a factor in the unrest.
Opinion polls in France show Marine Le Pen is currently the leading candidate in the presidential election. Polls also suggest recent events may have further solidified her support.
Italian Prime Minister Meloni ordered the dispatch of 500 additional soldiers to Milan to assist about 5,000 local police and law enforcement officers to prevent a recurrence of last week's looting and violence. Authorities are also conducting drone surveillance, conducting checks at train stations and monitoring speech that incites violence online. Rome's luxury shopping streets were cordoned off. Control has been tightened around the Arena and People's Square. In addition to Rome and Milan, demonstrations were called in at least seven other Italian cities.
Albania, Spain and Portugal are also experiencing a wave of protests. Demonstrations are planned in these countries on Saturday to protest long-standing social problems, including the shortcomings of Albania's education system and the shortage of affordable housing faced by Spain and Portugal.
