70,000 French officers mobilized as protests shift to city edge
Paris shifted the main march to the city's southeastern edge after last week's demonstrations left 3,000 shops damaged.
By Lina Lewis ·
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 70,000 police officers will be deployed across France on Saturday.
The mobilization follows a week of unrest that left shops looted and vehicles burned in several cities. The government is deploying helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons to support ground forces. In central Paris, a small number of gendarmes were posted near the Arc de Triomphe on Friday.
Authorities altered the main march route in Paris on Friday. The protest is now restricted to the southeastern edge of the city, running between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This change moves the event away from the originally planned path between Bastille and Nation. More than half a million people attended last week's protests, and officials expect a similar turnout this weekend.
The movement began last month due to staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris. It has since expanded to include demands for more teachers, better school buildings, and additional university places. Unions are joining the protests to push for higher wages and pension adjustments to address rising living costs. Student groups proposed a joint plan asking for 250,000 new higher education places and a monthly grant increase of 200 euros.
Cultural institutions and businesses have adjusted their schedules in response to the expected crowds. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais will be closed on Saturday. The Grand Palais is currently hosting a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened to the public on Friday for a single day but cancelled its weekend program. Shopkeepers have been securing their stores all week. Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station on Friday. He said the owner told him he was saving his life. Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend.
Local authorities in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier banned planned marches, while events in Paris and Marseille are proceeding. Police used tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning. Trade unions criticized the bans as violations of constitutional freedom of expression. In Limoges, two suspects were placed under formal investigation for a fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall. The probe includes attempted murder of a public official. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure advised shopkeepers to hire security guards but clarified that protecting businesses is a government responsibility.
President Emmanuel Macron faces this crisis in the final stretch of his term, with his popularity at its lowest since taking office in 2017. He stated that the security measures are necessary to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, thousands gathered for an anti-far-right protest held alongside a congress of Marine Le Pen's party. Victoria Ambrosini, an art teacher at Saint-Denis University, said money is concentrated in the hands of very few people and that this is no longer possible.
