France deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide on Saturday and closed several major Paris museums as authorities prepared for fresh protests, a week after widespread looting, arson and attacks on public buildings exposed security vulnerabilities and increased pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
The Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais were among the cultural institutions closed amid fears of renewed violence. Organizers of Art Basel, a major contemporary art fair in Paris, canceled its weekend programme after opening on Friday.
In Orléans, about 110 km south of Paris, authorities prepared for a major anti-far-right rally coinciding with a national congress of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party.
Around 50 organizations, including trade unions, left-wing parties, student groups and anti-racism associations, called for the demonstration. Authorities expected between 20,000 and 30,000 participants and planned to deploy about 3,000 police and gendarmes to prevent clashes.
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Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the security operation would include riot police, helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannon.
“We will respond firmly to rioters and looters committing violence,” Nuñez said on Friday, warning that authorities would show “no compromise”.
Protests organized by student groups, trade unions and activists from the Yellow Vests movement were also expected in Paris, where intelligence assessments cited by French newspaper Le Monde estimated that between 60,000 and 120,000 people could take to the streets.
More than 500,000 people demonstrated across France last week, with violence on the sidelines leaving shops damaged or looted, cars burned and public buildings targeted. Around 3,000 businesses nationwide were damaged or looted, according to reports.
Authorities reinforced security with special police units, dog teams, mounted officers and anti-drone teams. About 15 water cannon vehicles and 20 armored vehicles operated by the national gendarmerie were also expected to be deployed.
Shopkeepers in Paris boarded up storefronts and strengthened security ahead of the demonstrations. Near Place de la République, an area affected by last weekend’s unrest, businesses and a bank branch installed wooden panels to protect their premises.
The protests, which began last month at a high school southeast of Paris, initially focused on staffing shortages and learning conditions but have since broadened to include anger over the cost of living and economic inequality.
Concerns over underfunded schools, staff shortages in disadvantaged neighborhoods and university admissions have also fueled student discontent.
Some demonstrations planned in Lyon, Nice and Montpellier were banned by local authorities, while marches were expected in Paris and Marseille. Trade unions criticized the restrictions, saying they violated the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression.
Macron, who has faced mounting public discontent during his presidency, has defended the security measures as necessary to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings.
