French Police: 70,000 Officers Deployed for New Protest Wave

France has deployed a massive security force in preparation for new demonstrations on Saturday, following a week of significant unrest that saw shops looted and vehicles burned. Students and workers are taking to the streets to demand better school funding and relief from the rising cost of living, while authorities in Paris prepare for another large turnout.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that up to 70,000 officers will be deployed across the country. The security operation is supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. In central Paris, gendarmes were positioned beneath the Arc de Triomphe and along nearby avenues to maintain order. Authorities also altered the planned march route on Friday, confining the demonstration to the city's southeastern edge between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes instead of the original path from Bastille to Nation.

The movement began last month over staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris but has expanded significantly since. Students are calling for more teachers, improved school buildings, and additional university places. Unions are pushing for higher wages and better pensions to help households manage living costs. Student groups have also outlined a joint 10 point plan that demands 250,000 extra higher education places and an end to selection through the Parcoursup admissions system. They also seek an additional 200 euros a month in student grants and a rent freeze in public housing.

Cultural venues and businesses are feeling the impact of the ongoing demonstrations. Major institutions including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are closed on Saturday. The Grand Palais is currently hosting a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened to the public for a single day on Friday, but organizers cancelled the weekend program due to the threat of unrest. Shopkeepers have been barricading their stores all week to protect their goods. Contractor Akram Ahmed, 34, was seen boarding up an optician's shop near Saint Lazare station, stating, "I got the call last night," while adding that the owner told him he was saving his life. Roughly 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend.

Not every rally has been permitted to proceed. Marches are scheduled in Paris and Marseille, but local authorities have banned others in cities including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. French media reported that police used tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning. Trade unions have criticized these bans as violations of the freedom of expression protected by the constitution.

Outside the capital, the damage has been substantial. French media reported that two suspects in the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th century city hall in Limoges were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial. The investigation includes charges of attempted murder of a public official. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure urged shopkeepers to hire security guards before clarifying that protecting businesses is the government's responsibility.

President Emmanuel Macron faces this crisis in the final stretch of his term, with his popularity at its lowest point since taking office in 2017. He has stated that the measures are necessary to protect city centres, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, about 110 kilometres south of Paris, thousands gathered for an anti far right protest held alongside a two day congress of Marine Le Pen's nationalist party, which is set to take place ahead of next spring's presidential election. Victoria Ambrosini, an art critic and teacher at Saint Denis University, commented that money is now "concentrated in the hands of very few people" and added, "it's not possible anymore."