France Deploys Thousands of Officers Amid New Protests

Major museums in Paris shuttered their doors and authorities deployed a substantial police contingent for a new wave of protests across France on Saturday, aiming to prevent a recurrence of the violent disturbances that marred the previous week. Scenes of looting, burned vehicles, and damaged public buildings had previously given the impression of a loss of governmental control, as masked individuals targeted businesses in Paris and other urban centers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that up to 70,000 officers would be stationed nationwide, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. A significant turnout is anticipated, following over half a million people who marched the previous week.

Institutions such as the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais, the latter hosting a major Cézanne exhibition, remained closed on Saturday. Art Basel, a prominent international contemporary art fair, opened on Friday but canceled its weekend program due to the threat of unrest.

Parisian shopkeepers spent the week barricading their premises. Near Place de la République, a focal point of last weekend's disturbances, a bank branch and other businesses were secured with wooden panels to deter potential vandalism. Following the earlier unrest, the prefect of Paris police, Patrice Faure, had advised shopkeepers to hire private security, though he later clarified that the government holds responsibility for protecting businesses.

Approximately 3,000 shops across France sustained damage or were looted over the past weekend. Protest marches are scheduled in Paris and Marseille, while authorities have banned gatherings in other cities including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. Cities outside the capital were significantly impacted, with an suspected arson attack in Limoges nearly destroying the city hall, a 19th-century landmark.

Trade unions have voiced criticism regarding the protest bans, characterizing them as infringements on constitutionally protected freedom of expression.

President Emmanuel Macron's administration, facing its lowest popularity ratings since his 2017 inauguration, has stated that these security measures are necessary to safeguard city centers, businesses, and public buildings. The current demonstrations initially erupted last month following a protest at a high school southeast of Paris over staffing shortages. The movement subsequently expanded, with class boycotts and demonstrations spreading to other Parisian suburbs and across the nation, including smaller towns. High school students have voiced concerns about underfunded schools and staff shortages, particularly in lower-income areas, and some have called for reforms to the university admissions system, which they perceive as inequitable. As the government has struggled to address these student demands, the movement has broadened into larger protests against the rising cost of living, occurring just months before the presidential election.