France and Germany Braced for Unrest as Hundreds of Demonstrations Get Underway
France is bracing for a third weekend of protests, with police deploying 70,000 officers to prevent a repeat of the riots and looting that have swept the country in recent weeks. The demonstrations, which began in response to the rising cost of living and the deteriorating education system, have drawn hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets.
Ahead of this weekend's planned demonstrations, shops and businesses across France have boarded up their storefronts, and police have restricted access to certain areas in Paris. The French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, has warned of a "very high risk of public disorder," and police are taking a proactive approach to prevent violence.
In Germany, police are also preparing for potential unrest, with Berlin's police chief, Barbara Slowik Meisel, deploying an additional 1,500 officers in the capital. While she expressed confidence that people and property would not come under attack, she acknowledged that there is no concrete evidence of coordinated looting operations being planned.
Protesters have begun marching in Paris, with demonstrations also taking place in Lille and Lyon. The French student unions have called for a blockade of schools and universities on Tuesday and Thursday, adding to the tense atmosphere.
