France Deploys Security Forces to Prevent Further Riots
France has deployed large-scale security forces across the country to prevent a repeat of last weekend's mass protests, which degenerated into arson, looting, and other violence. The authorities have arrested 135 people by midday local time, with 35,000 people on the streets nationwide, fewer than the number who demonstrated last Saturday.
The lone protest permitted in Marseille, where looters ravaged a commercial avenue last week, drew thousands of people, including students and some parents with young children. Clashes broke out between protesters and the police, who fired tear gas at one point. In Orléans, a protest against France's main far-right party, the National Rally, ended peacefully in the afternoon, with 11,000 protesters gathering, according to local authorities.
The nationwide unrest began with a handful of student demonstrations at high schools in suburban Paris last month, protesting inadequate resources and high workloads. The protests have since broadened to encompass labor unions, parents, and other activists, with different grievances converging into a mass protest. The authorities have arrested thousands, and politicians are divided over how to respond.
The government has taken measures to prevent further unrest, including banning all demonstrations in downtown areas of several cities, including Le Havre, Toulon, and Nice. The Louvre and other cultural institutions have closed, and the Art Basel fair ended two days early. A Sunday soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais was postponed.
The unrest has raised basic questions about France's ability to preserve law and order, with the police facing criticism for using disproportionate force, including against children as young as 14. The Interior Ministry has estimated that 70,000 police officers and gendarmes, reinforced by elite military troops, armored vehicles, drones, and helicopters, will be deployed across the country to prevent further violence.
