France mobilized 70,000 security personnel nationwide ahead of Saturday's protests over living costs and education, with authorities pushing the Paris march to the capital's edge to prevent a repeat of widespread looting.
French authorities deployed 70,000 police nationwide and closed major Paris museums including the Louvre ahead of planned protests, following last weekend's violent demonstrations that marked some of the worst urban unrest in years.
French authorities imposed overnight curfews in parts of Paris, Lille, Nice and other cities following the country's worst rioting in years over the weekend. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government was prepared to declare a state of emergency if needed, as protests over cost of living issues escalated into widespread violence and looting.
France's central government asked local authorities to impose curfews following a weekend of widespread violence, looting, and riots stemming from anti-government protests over rising living costs and poor school conditions. The unrest resulted in at least 1,800-2,400 arrests, burned public buildings, and hundreds of destroyed shops, prompting criticism of the government's security response.
