Protests in city centers are banned, and Paris has imposed a weekend night curfew in districts hit by looting on Oct. 17.
PARIS – France is deploying about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes for a new round of nationwide protests on Saturday, which falls on Halloween, as Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of “a very high risk of public disorder” and promised an “extremely firm” response.
The protests are fueled by anger over the cost of living, public services and the government, and by student demands for better learning conditions. Marches on Oct. 17 degenerated into riots and looting, and authorities have admitted security and intelligence failures. A similar deployment last Saturday, Oct. 24, helped prevent a repeat of that violence, according to authorities cited by Newsweek.
Nuñez said protests in city centers are banned and only those on the outskirts of cities are allowed. Armored vehicles and water cannon introduced last week will be strengthened. Paris police imposed a curfew on Saturday and Sunday nights in the districts hit hardest on Oct. 17. Nuñez warned demonstrators not to use Halloween masks as a reason to hide their faces and cause trouble.
The “yellow vest” movement and student unions have called for the new day of protests. The government outlined policies on student grievances on Monday, which unions called insufficient, and youth organizations met Nuñez on Thursday and left disappointed.
Protests are also planned elsewhere in Europe. A youth-led movement in Germany plans demonstrations in 34 cities over living costs, austerity and inequality, ANI reported, citing France 24.
This report draws on information from Euronews, France 24, Al Jazeera and Newsweek.