OMM Newsroom
France is deploying 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide on Saturday as authorities prepare for a new wave of demonstrations and warn of potential violence, blockades and property damage during unauthorized gatherings.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the measures at a news conference on Friday, according to a statement published by the ministry on Saturday.
Security measures across France
The ministry said many demonstrations were being organized without formal leadership or union oversight. Some calls for gatherings were accompanied by appeals for violence and disruption on social media.
Authorities have banned demonstrations in certain city centres, while organizers of declared protests have been asked to use alternative routes.
The operation includes 110 mobile force units, 25 Centaur armored vehicles, water cannons, helicopters and drones, the statement said. Police will also carry out checks on roads, railway lines and at stations to confiscate dangerous objects that could be used as weapons.
Gatherings planned in Paris
Several gatherings are planned across France, including demonstrations in Paris organized by student and trade union groups between Place de la Republique and Place de la Nation, according to “Le Monde”.
Separately, the Yellow Vests movement plans to gather at Place de la Concorde.
The ministry said peaceful demonstrations would be protected, but promised “a firm response” against thugs and looters, who would be arrested.
Student mobilizations have spread across France in recent weeks, with demonstrators blocking schools and raising concerns about educational conditions and resources.
The protests are part of a broader national day of action on Nov. 5. The Interior Ministry recorded 575,000 participants at 193 public gatherings nationwide that day, including 65,000 in Paris.
