From tear gas to boarded-up shops, France prepares for another volatile weekend

Paris, October 24 — French police began firing tear gas at protesters on Saturday as heightened security measures were implemented in major cities to prevent a recurrence of the rioting witnessed a week prior. This came amidst ongoing nationwide demonstrations over the exorbitant cost of living. In the southeastern city of Lyon, police used tear gas to disperse approximately 150 protesters, some of whom had attempted to block a road.

A 21-year-old student, who wished to remain anonymous, observed that police were "really mobile... They come and disperse marches before they even form."

Authorities and shopkeepers in major cities were preparing for potential new episodes of street violence. A clothing store and a restaurant in Paris's Bastille neighborhood had removed all their merchandise and boarded up their shops in anticipation of the demonstrations. Many other retailers in the capital had also covered their windows with wooden boards. The Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay museums were closed.

In Marseille, riot squad vehicles, armored trucks, and a water cannon were positioned in the city center, while police elsewhere prepared for potential clashes. Authorities mobilized 70,000 security personnel, according to the interior ministry, to counter the "high" threat of violence. Police officers were seen standing guard at the Place de la Bastille.

Adding to tensions, Marine Le Pen's National Rally party held a congress in Orleans to launch her campaign for elections in six months to select President Emmanuel Macron's successor. Thousands of individuals chanting anti-fascist slogans marched against Le Pen and also against Macron, a pro-business centrist leader. The crowd chanted, "Macron resign. Le Pen in prison."

The unrest underscored tensions in France ahead of the vote, with surveys indicating that Le Pen is in the best position to win. Last weekend's rioting saw rioters on the fringes of the nationwide demonstrations clashing with police, damaging public buildings, and looting hundreds of stores. About 2,700 individuals were arrested, and the retail sector claimed that shopowners incurred damages and losses from stolen stock totaling hundreds of millions of euros.

President Macron attributed the majority of the violence to "ultra-left" groups that he claimed "seek to bring down the republic." Groups organizing Saturday's renewed demonstrations blamed Macron and his administration for ignoring widespread public discontent over escalating costs and poor classroom conditions for students. Inflation in France, like in other countries, has been propelled by the Middle East conflict, which began in February with a US-led attack on Iran and subsequent Israeli military actions.

Protests were also taking place in Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, each addressing different issues but sharing some common themes, such as inflation and education problems. Italy had deployed 500 troops to Milan following street violence in the city. In Paris, shop windows were boarded up, and some larger retailers sent messages to customers indicating that they would remain closed for the day.

The Yellow Vests, who organized disruptive protests against Macron eight years ago, denounced an "authoritarian drift" and called for further demonstrations on October 31 for "the freedom to protest."