The French security forces have made 135 arrests by 1:00 PM this Saturday in a new wave of protests that has gathered about 35,000 people in the streets of the main cities of the country. By noon, no serious incidents had occurred, according to the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Núñez.
In statements to national media, Núñez indicated that 136 actions have been recorded in public spaces, compared to the 264 registered at the same time the previous Saturday. He also specified that "a large part of the arrests is related to flow controls and the discovery of material intended to be used as a weapon by its purpose."
The Interior Minister recalled that on October 17, 60,000 people gathered at noon, on a day marked by violent episodes and looting.
Extensive police operation in light of the memory of previous violence
With that precedent still very present, the authorities have faced this Saturday's new call for mobilizations with a notable reinforcement of security, restrictions on gatherings in several cities, and preventive measures to contain possible outbreaks of violence.
From early on, the Ministry of the Interior has reported the seizure of objects considered dangerous, such as mortars or pétanque balls, at the controls set up at access points and around the marches. At the same time, police, gendarmes, and prefectures are maintaining surveillance, inspection, and intelligence tasks to prevent disturbances and enforce the prohibitions decreed.
In this scenario, Núñez conveyed his support to the forces before their deployment. "We know that there will probably be disparate groups trying to provoke incidents," he warned in statements collected by the BFMTV network, referring to possible attacks against businesses, institutions, and agents.
The minister also emphasized the importance of reacting quickly and flexibly to a day that is expected to be prolonged, and reiterated that the police forces have the backing of the Ministry's leadership. "I know the violence they face," he stated, defending that the interventions are carried out within the legal framework and respecting the principle of proportionality.
First clashes in Lyon and restrictions in several cities
Lyon has recorded the first moments of tension between protesters and law enforcement, who have used tear gas to disperse several groups, in a context of strong limitations on protests in much of the urban center. The city suffered damage to more than 150 businesses and the burning of the tourist office last Saturday.
In Marseille, the prefecture has exceptionally authorized an inter-union march despite the initial prohibition of gatherings. In addition, the nighttime restrictions that affected minors in the center and in certain commercial areas have also been extended to adults during the nights of Saturday and Sunday.
The authorities have also banned demonstrations in cities such as Nancy, Belfort, Rouen, Le Havre, Toulon, and Limoges, whose town hall was devastated by a fire last weekend. Strasbourg, for its part, will host a union march.
In Nice, where gatherings are prohibited, police, gendarmes, and riot units have reinforced their presence in the urban center, with armored vehicles and riot control equipment to ensure safety, protect businesses, and enforce the prohibition.
Despite the restrictions, several hundred people have gathered in Masséna Square. The agents have ordered their dispersal and have forced attendees to retreat, with no incidents reported so far.
Route changes and more precautions in Paris
In Paris, the route of the marches has been modified compared to previous calls. The party La France Insoumise (LFI), led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has announced that it will respect the route set by the Prefecture after the Justice rejected its appeal. The party has called for a gathering at 2:00 PM at the Porte d'Italie and urges citizens to mobilize "in support of the youth, against the high cost of living and against the authoritarian drift of the Government."
The route proposed by student collectives and the 'yellow vests' between Bastille Square and the Opera has been prohibited, while the union demonstration of the CGT (Confederation General of Labor), planned between Bastille and Nation Square, is also taking place under this framework of restrictions and organizational adjustments.
At the same time, the municipalities have intensified preparations to reduce the risk of new damage. In the capital, municipal services have been removing trash cans, glass containers, shared bicycles, bulky items, and other elements susceptible to being used as projectiles or to provoke fires since Thursday. Specific patrols have also been organized, and instructions have been given to secure construction sites and fill in trenches when possible.
Local authorities have asked merchants to remove waste, terraces, and furniture before noon, while many establishments have reinforced their windows out of fear of new acts of vandalism or looting. The goal is to prevent this new day of protests from leading to a spiral of violence similar to that of the previous week.
Comparable measures have been adopted in cities like Pau, Rennes, Marseille, Orleans, and Tours, where preventive devices have been deployed and agents have confiscated objects that, according to the Interior Ministry, could be used to commit violent acts.
All this operation adds to the deployment of 70,000 agents announced the day before by the Minister of the Interior to control the gatherings planned throughout French territory during the weekend. An announcement accompanied by the warning that security forces will be "inflexible" with those who engage in acts of vandalism.