France Mobilizes 70,000 Police Ahead of Explosive Protest Wave
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MENAFNInterior Minister Laurent Nunez laid out the security plan at a Friday news conference, according to a ministry statement released Saturday.
The ministry noted that many of the protest calls are being organized with no formal leadership or union backing, and that some are paired with social media appeals for violence and disruption.
Authorities have prohibited demonstrations in certain city centers, and organizers of officially declared marches have been told to take alternative routes.
The statement said the deployment includes 110 mobile force units, 25 Centaur armored vehicles, water cannons, helicopters and drones. Police will also run checks on roads, railway lines and at stations to seize dangerous items that could be used as weapons.
A major national daily reports that multiple gatherings are scheduled across the country. In Paris, student and trade union groups plan to march between Place de la Republique and Place de la Nation, while the Yellow Vests movement intends to assemble at Place de la Concorde.
The ministry said peaceful protests would be protected but promised “a firm response” to thugs and looters, who face arrest.
Meanwhile, French education unions have called a new nationwide strike for Nov. 10, arguing that the government’s commitments to the sector remain “insufficient” after their Nov. 5 walkout. In a joint statement Friday, the unions pressed for more staff recruitment, higher salaries and greater investment in education and research.
Student mobilizations have spread across the country in recent weeks, with demonstrators blocking schools and voicing concerns over educational conditions and resources.
Those actions were part of a broader national day of action on Nov. 5, when the Interior Ministry counted 575,000 participants at 193 public gatherings nationwide, including 65,000 in Paris.
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