France is preparing for protests: 70,000 police officers, demonstrations banned, museums closed

A week after the violent riots in France, new nationwide protests are taking place on Saturday. According to the Interior Ministry, around 70,000 security forces will be deployed. Large museums such as the Louvre and the Orsay should also remain closed.

Strict conditions apply to the demonstrations; in Paris only one protest march was approved, the route of which was shortened. The authorities in Lyon have banned demonstrations in the city center. Only one union rally is allowed to take place in Marseille.

Last weekend there were massive riots in France on the sidelines of demonstrations against high costs of living and abuses in the education system. Thousands of shops were looted, town halls and police stations were attacked and buildings were set on fire. In response, nighttime curfews were imposed in several major cities.

Lecornu: “The threat situation is still high”

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that the massive police presence is now intended to prevent violence and looting. There are numerous calls for acts of violence and looting, which are obviously messages from the rioters. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in the evening during a visit to Limoges, where the town hall burned last weekend: "The threat level is still high."

According to the Interior Minister, a number of demonstrations have already been banned. Rallies that are accompanied by the organizers with a security service would be permitted, "and provided that they obviously do not take place in places where looting, disruption of public order and the like could occur."

Dispute over demonstration routes

In Paris, a demonstration registered by the unions was allowed, but the route was adjusted. The organizers reacted with outrage. According to media reports, unions want to take action against the regulation in the administrative court. There were also preliminary disputes about the route of demonstrations in other cities. Regardless of the restrictions on rallies, Nuñez said curfews remained in effect in sensitive areas of the cities.

"What happened on October 17th is completely unacceptable," said the Interior Minister, referring to the serious riots with millions in damages on the sidelines of demonstrations last Saturday. The images of massive destruction and violence on France's streets also caused concern and unrest abroad.

The young people who have been demonstrating for weeks for better equipment in schools were joined by other groups at rallies in numerous cities over the weekend, among other things to demonstrate against the high cost of living.

In a speech, President Emmanuel Macron accused “ultra-left” groups of attempting a coup in the context of the riots. The “organized groups” had committed “seditious” acts with the aim of “overthrowing the Republic,” said Macron.

Shopkeepers barricade their shops

Because of fears of new violence, shop owners in the center of the capital Paris, among others, began installing chipboard in front of their shop windows. The city administration called on traders, residents, restaurateurs and companies to remove, if possible, objects that could be used as projectiles or barricades or set on fire.

The tense situation in France was further fueled on Friday by an act of violence, although no connection to the protests and unrest in the country was immediately apparent. A man fired an automatic weapon from a car in communities near Paris. One person was killed and five others were injured. The man was arrested a short time later. President Macron spoke of a racist terrorist attack.

Before the renewed demonstrations, the head of state sat down with protesting students for the first time on Friday afternoon. Macron wanted to receive high school students and representatives of their organizations to “listen to their demands and concerns,” the Élysée Palace said. As a further step to reach out to the protesters, the government wants to bring forward the increase in the minimum wage planned for January, the newspaper “Les Échos” reported.