France mounts huge security operation as protesters prepare to march

Paris authorities have beefed up security measures ahead of anticipated protests on Saturday, fuelled by rising concerns over possible violent unrest. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez urged police to adopt a highly responsive approach against any troublemakers or looters. French troops from an anti-terrorism unit were deployed along the Champs-Elysees, while police units circled the iconic Arc de Triomphe to safeguard some of the capital's most celebrated landmarks.

Interior Minister Nunez has activated 70,000 police nationwide, 10,000 more than the previous week, when widespread vandalism and looting sparked questions about the government's capacity to maintain order. The protests have been driven by anger over living costs and strained public services, with students, workers, and unions taking to the streets in recent weeks.

However, authorities have alleged that radical militants and groups of young looters have also exploited the demonstrations to create chaos. Speaking to police, Nunez warned officers to brace for attempts to target shops, public institutions, and security forces, vowing that "we have to be ultra, ultra responsive." Many Parisians boarded up their storefronts as luxury retailers ramped up security, with business groups urging stores to remain shut after thousands were damaged or looted during last weekend's disturbances.

Notable cultural sites like the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and the Opera House have announced closures to avoid potential turmoil. Several of Paris' premier cultural institutions, as well as the city's 20 metro stations, will be closed on Saturday. The primary demonstration's venue remained ambiguous following police efforts to steer organizers away from the city center towards the outskirts of the capital, a move that angered some on the left.

Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon criticized the authorities for creating disruptions and setting impossible deadlines for organizations to reorganize. Demonstrations have been curtailed across much of France, with Marseille lifting a ban on a union march and protests remaining restricted in central Lyon. Union rallies will proceed in Strasbourg, but bans persist in cities such as Nancy, Metz, Besançon, Belfort, Rouen, Le Havre, Toulon, and Limoges.

The first authorized march took place in Orleans, approximately 75 miles south of Paris, to protest Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally's congress happening in the city. Tensions escalated following a shooting west of Paris on Friday, where a gunman allegedly motivated by Islamophobia killed one person and wounded four others, including a 12-year-old girl.