France to Deploy 70,000 Police for Protests

France will deploy approximately 70,000 security personnel nationwide on Saturday as authorities brace for renewed protests following last week’s severe urban violence, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced at a Paris news conference.

High school demonstrations over learning conditions originally sparked the movement, which rapidly expanded across the country as citizens channelled broader outrage over rising living costs.

Courts have already jailed 217 offenders linked to last weekend’s looting and arson, while President Emmanuel Macron called for “the utmost severity” against delinquent acts, blaming ultra-left groups for seeking to undermine the republic.

To prevent further unrest, authorities have imposed strict security measures and restricted major rallies across several cities.

In Paris, police overturned a permit for a union-led march, though union leaders vowed to proceed on their original route, while cultural institutions including the Louvre announced Saturday closures.

Officials in Orleans barred counter-demonstrators from the city centre ahead of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party congress, where tens of thousands of political rivals and supporters are expected to gather.

Meanwhile, human rights organisations like Amnesty International criticised the protest restrictions, warning against authoritarian practices that jeopardise peaceful assembly.

The escalating civil unrest unfolds six months before France’s presidential election, heavily influencing political dynamics and market confidence.

Recent polling by Harris Interactive indicates that the violence has significantly boosted far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, positioning her as the frontrunner with 33 to 35 per cent of the first-round vote.

As Macron meets with student representatives who continue to demand concrete policy reforms, analysts note that the dual pressures of social instability and mounting national debt threaten to reshape the country’s political future.