French Police Deployment: 70,000 Officers Assigned for Saturday Protests

France will deploy up to 70,000 police officers across the country on Saturday.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the scale of the deployment, which will be supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. This mobilization follows a week of unrest in which shops were looted and vehicles were burned.

In Paris, authorities altered the planned route for the main march on Friday. The demonstration is now restricted to the southeastern edge of the city, running between Porte d’Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This route replaces the original path from Bastille to Nation, a change made after more than half a million people attended protests last week. A few dozen gendarmes were already positioned beneath the Arc de Triomphe and on nearby avenues in central Paris as preparations continued.

The demonstrations were sparked by staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris but have expanded into a broader dispute over education and living costs. Student groups have published a ten-point plan that demands 250,000 additional places in higher education and an end to selection through the Parcoursup admissions system. They also seek a monthly student grant of 200 euros and a rent freeze in public student housing. Trade unions are demanding higher wages and pensions to assist households with rising living expenses.

Businesses and cultural institutions have adjusted their operations in response to the expected crowds. The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais will remain closed on Saturday. The Grand Palais is currently hosting a major exhibit of Cézanne paintings. Art Basel opened to the public on Friday for a single day before organizers cancelled its weekend program. About 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend of protests.

Local authorities in several cities have banned marches, including in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier, while allowing events in Paris and Marseille. Police in Lyon used tear gas on Saturday morning according to French media reports. Trade unions have criticized these bans as violations of the freedom of expression protected by the constitution.

The unrest has also affected infrastructure outside the capital. Two suspects were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial regarding a fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall in Limoges. The investigation includes charges of attempted murder of a public official. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure advised shopkeepers to hire security guards while stating that protecting businesses is a government responsibility.

President Emmanuel Macron is managing the crisis in the final stretch of his term, during which his approval ratings have reached their lowest levels since 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 alongside a congress of Marine Le Pen's party, which is taking place ahead of the presidential election scheduled for next spring.