France prepares for nationwide protests amid security concerns
Authorities expect hundreds of demonstrations across France on Saturday, with unions and students protesting the cost-of-living crisis and police preparing for possible clashes.
France is bracing for a day of extensive protests on Saturday, with unions and self-identified "yellow vests" planning demonstrations over rising fuel costs and the broader cost-of-living crisis. Student groups are also expected to join, following weeks of actions focused on education issues such as teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms.
The interior ministry anticipates around 500 separate actions and about 90 protests nationwide, and police have placed a high alert on potential violence in Paris and other major cities. In Marseille, rioters set bins and electric scooters on fire, prompting a riot police response, while retailers in several towns have boarded up storefronts to deter looting.
President Emmanuel Macron said the right to protest is "fully respected" but must be exercised with respect for people and property, urging calm and respect for those rights. > "That is why I call for calm and respect: these rights must be preserved," he said.
Police scrutiny has intensified after incidents in which a 15-year-old allegedly lost an eye from a rubber bullet and a 14-year-old lost a hand after handling a police stun grenade. France has suspended certain stun grenades, though Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez indicated they could be redeployed on 17 October if "serious urban violence" occurs. Nuñez told the Senate that 36 investigations into alleged police misconduct during student protests have been opened.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported that 937 police officers and gendarmes, 248 students and 149 teachers have been injured since the protests began, describing the secondary-school student movement as turning into a "wave of urban violence." The Alliance Police Nationale union announced it would file a complaint against the state, citing contradictory orders and perceived threats to officers' safety.
The hard-left France Unbowed party, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has been accused of encouraging unrest. Mélenchon urged supporters to "stand up to police brutality" while later emphasizing his support for peaceful protest methods.