70,000 Officers Deployed as Paris Shifts Protest Route to City Edge
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the deployment, which includes armored vehicles and helicopters, following a week of unrest that damaged approximately 3,000 shops.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Ordinary residents and business owners in French cities face a tighter security perimeter this weekend as the government mobilizes 70,000 police officers for Saturday's demonstrations. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the deployment, which is supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. In central Paris, a small contingent of gendarmes has already taken positions beneath the Arc de Triomphe and on nearby streets.
The decision to increase the police presence follows a volatile week of unrest. Last Saturday's protests attracted more than half a million participants. During that event, approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted, and vehicles were burned. The current mobilization aims to protect commercial districts and public buildings from similar incidents.
The movement began last month with complaints about staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris. It has since expanded to include broader demands from students and workers. Students are requesting more teachers, improved school infrastructure, and additional university places. Unions are seeking higher wages and pension reforms to address rising living costs.
Student groups have published a joint ten-point plan outlining specific demands. This includes creating 250,000 additional places in higher education and ending the selection process used in the Parcoursup admissions system. The plan also calls for a monthly student grant increase of 200 euros and a rent freeze in public student housing.
Paris changed the official march route on Friday. The demonstration will now stay on the city's southeastern edge, running between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This differs from the originally planned path from Bastille to Nation. Local authorities have scheduled marches in Paris and Marseille, but they banned rallies in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. Police in Lyon used tear gas on Saturday morning, prompting trade unions to criticize the bans as violations of constitutional freedoms.
The unrest has forced cultural venues to close for the day. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are shut. The Grand Palais is currently hosting a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened to the public on Friday for a single day but canceled its weekend program due to the threat of unrest. Shopkeepers have been boarding up their stores all week to protect their stock.
Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station on Friday. He stated that the owner called him the previous night and explained that the action was necessary to save the business. In Limoges, two suspects in the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall are under formal investigation and held pending trial. The probe includes attempted murder of a public official.
President Emmanuel Macron faces the crisis in the final stretch of his term. His popularity is at its lowest point since taking office in 2017. He stated that the security measures are needed to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, thousands gathered for an anti-far-right protest alongside a congress for Marine Le Pen's party ahead of next spring's election.
