France Deploys 70,000 Officers to Curb Nationwide Protests
President Emmanuel Macron is deploying 70,000 police officers to manage a resurgence of yellow-vest and student protests over living costs and education funding.
France is deploying approximately 70,000 police officers, including armored vehicles and water cannons, to manage a new wave of nationwide protests scheduled for Saturday. The unrest began as high school student demonstrations over underfunded schools and staff shortages but expanded into a broader coalition including the yellow-vest movement and trade unions protesting low wages and the rising cost of living.
Emmanuel Macron defended the security measures as necessary to protect businesses and public buildings following a week of violence that saw 3,000 shops looted and a suspected arson nearly destroy the city hall in Limoges. In response, authorities in Paris closed major museums, including the Louvre and Orsay Museum, and canceled the Art Basel fair's weekend program. While marches are scheduled for Paris and Marseille, local authorities have banned rallies in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the deployment of elite units and soldiers to maintain order. To mitigate fuel costs, the Élysée announced that Macron secured additional diesel supplies from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with further volumes sought from Bahrain. The government faces these challenges amid a severe fiscal crisis and a budget deficit surpassed only by the United States among advanced economies. Macron, currently described as a lame duck president without a parliamentary majority, faces continued pressure from political rivals Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
