France will deploy some 70,000 police nationwide as it braces for new protests this weekend after some of the worst urban violence in years erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, the government said on Friday.
The France 70,000 police protests deployment was announced by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez at a press conference in Paris .
THE DEPLOYMENT
Nunez warned that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media.”Some 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday,” he said .
The deployment represents a 20 percent increase in security forces compared to last weekend, following heavy criticism of the anticipation and intelligence gathering of police.
THE RESTRICTIONS
Authorities have imposed restrictions on protests across the country.
In Lyon, central areas will be off-limits to demonstrators.
In Paris, protesters will only be allowed to march a limited route between Bastille and Nation squares.
In Orleans, between 20,000 and 30,000 people were expected to come out against Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party, but the gathering will be barred from the city centre .
Authorities in Marseille had also banned protests but announced Friday that a union-organised demonstration would be allowed on an “exceptional basis” .
MACRON’S RESPONSE
President Emmanuel Macron, who according to aides is postponing a visit later this month to Nigeria and Senegal amid the crisis, held a meeting of his defence council of top ministers and officials.
He also hosted representatives of high school pupils, whose protests over conditions at their schools sparked the movement that has broadened into a nationwide show of anger against the government over the rising cost of living .
Macron called for “the utmost severity” against “acts of delinquency,” accusing “ultra-left” groups of having sought to “bring down the republic” last weekend.
THE JUDICIAL RESPONSE
Courts have already sent 217 people, half of them first-time offenders, to prison over the events on Saturday, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
THE POLITICAL CONTEXT
The protests have come at a critical moment for France, six months ahead of elections to replace Macron.
A new poll by Harris Interactive for M6/RTL made after the violence showed Marine Le Pen soaring ahead on 33-35 percent in the first round of voting for the presidential elections.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERN
Eva Cosse, senior Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch, expressed alarm over reports of children being severely injured by crowd-control weapons.
“In a country governed by the rule of law, the police have a responsibility both to ensure that protests can take place peacefully and safely and to protect the public from violent disorder,” she said .
WHY IT MATTERS
France is on edge. The violence of last weekend has shaken the country and tarnished its image ahead of elections that could be a turning point in its modern history.
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The deployment of 70,000 police is a massive show of force, but it may not be enough to prevent further unrest.
For Macron, the crisis is a test of his authority. For Le Pen, it is an opportunity. For the people of France, it is a moment of uncertainty.
ValidViewNetwork reports that the protests are expected to continue on Saturday. The world is watching.