France braces for protests as Yellow Vests urge 'mass disobedience'

French unions and student groups are scheduled to protest this Saturday in an authorized march through central Paris to support young people and protest the high cost of living. The Malay Mail and The Economic Times report that these demonstrations follow weeks of nationwide strikes and youth-led unrest, including a Thursday where hundreds of thousands of striking workers took to the streets.

The Yellow Vests movement has declined to join the authorized march, instead calling for a separate rally at Place de la Concorde near the presidential palace and the lower house of parliament. This rally is planned despite a ban by authorities.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that 70,000 police officers and security forces will be deployed across the country, noting that forces will be ready for any rioters or looters. While demonstrations have been largely peaceful, Malay Mail notes there have been instances of vandalism and clashes with police, including on October 17 when the country experienced its worst rioting in years.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local France, Malay Mail, The Economic Times — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.