Paris Herds Protesters to Perimeter as Police Surge

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that up to 70,000 security officers will be deployed across France this Saturday to manage a new wave of demonstrations. The mobilization includes helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons, marking a heavy state presence one week after unrest resulted in looted shops and burned vehicles.

Protest activity began last month following staff shortages at a high school in the southeast suburbs of Paris. The movement has since expanded to include student groups and labor unions. Students are demanding additional teachers, improved school infrastructure, and increased university capacity. Labor unions are seeking higher wages and pension adjustments to offset rising living costs.

Student organizations have released a joint ten-point proposal. The plan requests 250,000 additional places in higher education and the elimination of the Parcoursup admissions selection system. It also calls for an increase of 200 euros, approximately 313 Canadian dollars, in monthly student grants and a freeze on rents in public student housing.

Paris police altered the approved march route on Friday. The demonstration is now restricted to the southeastern edge of the city, running between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This differs from the originally planned path from Bastille to Nation, which is expected to draw another large crowd following last week's turnout of more than 500,000 people.

Local authorities have banned marches in several other cities, including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier, though rallies are proceeding in Paris and Marseille. In Lyon, police used tear gas on Saturday morning. Trade unions have criticized these bans as constitutional violations of freedom of expression.

The economic impact is visible in cultural sectors and retail. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are closed for Saturday. The Grand Palais is currently hosting a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened to the public on Friday for a single day, with organizers cancelling the rest of the weekend program. Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted in the previous weekend's unrest.

In Limoges, two suspects in the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial. The probe includes attempted murder of a public official. President Emmanuel Macron, whose popularity is at its lowest point since 2017, stated the measures are necessary to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings.