Interior Minister Deploys 70,000 Officers for Saturday Protests

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the deployment of up to 70,000 police officers across France for demonstrations scheduled for Saturday. This massive mobilization follows a week of unrest that resulted in looted shops and burned vehicles. The protests are driven by students and workers demanding increased school funding and relief from rising living costs.

In central Paris, authorities posted dozens of gendarmes beneath the Arc de Triomphe and along nearby avenues. The police force will be supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. On Friday, officials altered the planned route for the capital's march. The demonstration will now run between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes on the city's southeastern edge, rather than following the original path from Bastille to Nation.

The movement began last month over staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris but has since expanded. Students are requesting more teachers, improved school infrastructure, and additional university spots. Unions are pushing for higher wages and pension adjustments to help households manage daily expenses. Student groups have outlined a joint 10-point plan that includes creating 250,000 new higher education places and ending selection through the Parcoursup admissions system.

The plan also demands an increase in student grants by 200 euros, approximately 313 Canadian dollars, per month. It calls for a rent freeze in public student housing. Last week's protests attracted more than half a million participants, and organizers expect another large crowd on Saturday. The financial demands reflect a broader concern over economic pressure on young families and students.

Cultural institutions and businesses are preparing for the disruption. 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, and organizers canceled its weekend program due to the threat of unrest. Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during last weekend's demonstrations.

Shopkeepers have spent the week barricading their stores. Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station. He stated that the owner called him the previous night to save his life. Local authorities in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier have banned their own marches, despite plans for demonstrations in Paris and Marseille. French media reported that police used tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning.

Trade unions have criticized the bans as violations of the constitutional right to freedom of expression. Outside the capital, the impact of the unrest has been severe. In Limoges, two suspects in the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial. The probe includes charges of attempted murder of a public official. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure urged shopkeepers to hire security guards but clarified that protecting businesses remains the government's responsibility.

President Emmanuel Macron faces the 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 centers, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, located about 110 kilometers south of Paris, thousands gathered for an anti-far-right protest. This event took place alongside a two-day congress of Marine Le Pen's nationalist party, which is ahead of next spring's presidential election.