70,000 Officers Deployed as France Faces New Wave of Protests

French authorities have deployed up to 70,000 police officers across the country for Saturday's demonstrations. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the mobilization on Friday, a week after unrest resulted in looted shops and burned vehicles. The deployment includes helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons.

The new protests focus on school funding and the rising cost of living. Student groups have proposed a 10-point plan that demands 250,000 additional places in higher education and an end to the Parcoursup admissions system. The plan also calls for a 200 euro monthly increase in student grants and a rent freeze in public housing. Unions are demanding higher wages and improved pensions to help households manage living expenses.

Police changed the main march route in Paris on Friday. The demonstration is now restricted to the southeastern edge of the city, running between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This differs from the originally planned path from Bastille to Nation. Last week's protests attracted more than half a million people, and officials expect another large turnout.

Cultural institutions have closed to avoid the crowds. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are shut for the day. The Grand Palais is currently hosting a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened to the public on Friday for a single day but cancelled its weekend program due to the threat of unrest. Shopkeepers have been barricading their stores throughout the week. Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station. He stated that the owner told him he was saving his life.

Local authorities have banned rallies in several cities, including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. Trade unions criticized these bans as violations of the constitutional right to freedom of expression. French media reported that police used tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning. About 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend's unrest.

In Limoges, two suspects were placed under formal investigation for the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall. The probe includes attempted murder of a public official. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure urged shopkeepers to hire security guards but later clarified that protecting businesses remains the government's responsibility.

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 measures are necessary to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, thousands gathered for an anti-far-right protest alongside a congress of Marine Le Pen's nationalist party. Victoria Ambrosini, an art critic and teacher at Saint-Denis University, said money is now concentrated in the hands of very few people and that it is not possible anymore.