Großes Polizeiaufgebot: Frankreich unter Spannung am landesweiten Protesttag

Huge police presence in France as major cities brace for nationwide protests on a day the Interior Ministry described as having "very great risk". Demonstrations were called by trade unions, student and university organizations, as well as the Yellow Vest movement, all voicing their frustration over high living costs and deteriorating schools. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the presidential candidate of the left-wing party, was also among the protesters in Paris.

At the start of the day, Paris police conducted over 1,200 checks at train stations and surrounding areas to ensure no one brought in fireworks, stabbing weapons, or other prohibited dangerous items. The police also used drones with cameras to monitor the situation in the capital city. Authorities took extra precautions due to alarming calls for plundering and riots on the same day, which could be facilitated by masked individuals.

In several cities, curfews were imposed, limiting access to certain locations or minors. The route of the demonstrations in Paris and other cities was moved to the suburbs due to fears of violence against public buildings and shop ransacking. In Marseille, despite no official permit, a large number of people gathered on the streets as captured by television footage.

The organizers in Paris protested the restriction through a legal process and initially succeeded, allowing their original route to proceed. However, the State Council intervened the following night, confirming the need for the alternative route. Authorities urged participants to meet at the new location, and organizations like Unef, a student organization, vowed to be present on the street and push for their demands regardless of the location.

Initially, demonstrations were scheduled to start at the historic Place de la Bastille, but first calls for its clearance occurred during lunchtime, resulting in dozens of police vehicles surrounding the square and numerous law enforcement personnel on site. Massive police presence was in place across France for the third major protest day of the movement.

Similar to the weekend of October 17th, the extensive force aimed to prevent looting and damage, as previously reported. Despite the extensive deployment, authorities noted a similarly high readiness for violence, with 1,435 arrests and over 150 injuries among both police and demonstrators.