France Reroutes Protests to Perimeter as 70,000 Officers Deployed

French authorities moved thousands of police to the streets Friday ahead of new demonstrations scheduled for Saturday.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that up to 70,000 officers will operate across the country. This force includes helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. In central Paris, a small group of gendarmes posted positions beneath the Arc de Triomphe and along nearby streets.

Police altered the main Paris march route on Friday. The demonstration is now restricted to the city's southeastern edge. The path runs between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This changes the original plan, which called for a march from Bastille to Nation. Last week's protests attracted more than half a million people, and officials expect a similar crowd size this weekend.

The current wave of unrest began last month over staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris. The movement has since expanded beyond that single issue. Students demand more teachers, improved school buildings, and additional university places. Unions seek higher wages and pension protections to help households manage rising living costs. Student groups released a joint 10-point plan. It requests 250,000 new higher education places and an end to selection through the Parcoursup admissions system. The plan also calls for an extra 200 euros in monthly student grants and a rent freeze in public housing.

Businesses and cultural venues are adjusting to the security threat. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais will close on Saturday. The Grand Palais currently hosts a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened to the public on Friday for a single day. Organizers canceled the rest of the weekend program due to the unrest. Shopkeepers have barricaded stores all week. Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, boarded up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station. He said he received the call the previous night. The owner told him he was saving his life. Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted last weekend.

Local authorities banned rallies in several cities, including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. Marches remain scheduled in Paris and Marseille. French media reported that police used tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning. Trade unions criticized the bans as violations of freedom of expression protected by the constitution. Outside the capital, the damage from last week was severe. Two suspects were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial. They are accused of starting a fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall in Limoges. The probe includes attempted murder of a public official. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure urged shopkeepers to hire security guards. He later clarified that protecting businesses is the government's responsibility.

President Emmanuel Macron faces this crisis in the final stretch of his term. His popularity is at its lowest point since he took office in 2017. He stated that the measures are needed to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, about 110 kilometers south of Paris, thousands gathered for an anti-far-right protest. This event coincided with a two-day congress of Marine Le Pen's nationalist party. The party is ahead of next spring's presidential election. Victoria Ambrosini, an art critic and teacher at Saint-Denis University, said money is now concentrated in the hands of very few people. She added that it is not possible anymore.