France Plans Troops and Extra Police for Saturday Protests

The French government said it will reinforce police with troops and mount a large security operation for further protests planned for Saturday. The announcement came in reporting by Reuters on 20 October.

The protests have been marked by serious disorder. On Saturday, 17 October, clashes between police and protesters, large-scale looting and multiple fires were reported across France, according to AFP. AFP reported that 1,200 people had been arrested that day. Several cities also imposed additional curfews, which are orders limiting when people may be out on the streets, after the violence, as CNN reported.

Over the following days, the scale of the response grew. Reuters reported that police had made 2,400 arrests across France during the unrest, and that nearly 1,000 officers had been injured. Reuters also reported that the government had mobilised 60,000 officers over the weekend, and that the government planned to increase the number of police on the ground.

Police in Paris barred protests in certain areas of the city from 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), according to Reuters. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament, the national legislature, that the government would reinforce police in major cities, DW reported.

On 20 October, the government said that the measures had helped keep the peace overnight, and it set out the plan for the Saturday protests. The planned deployment of soldiers alongside police is intended to support the police presence on the streets, according to the government's statements.