France prepares for day of protest a week after nationwide riots
France is bracing for a second wave of nationwide protests following recent riots, with the government deploying 70,000 police officers to maintain order. Despite government-imposed restrictions and bans on unauthorized gatherings, student groups and trade unions continue to organize demonstrations.
Why it matters
The unrest highlights significant social and political instability in France, testing the government's ability to balance public safety with the right to protest.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Some public buildings and businesses across France have been boarded up ahead of Saturday's protests
France is on high alert ahead of a new day of nationwide protests on Saturday, a week after the country saw some of its worst unrest in decades.
Sweeping restrictions have been imposed on demonstrations across France but hundreds of thousands of protesters are still expected to gather in Paris and elsewhere for a second round of protests organised by students, trade unions and wider anti-government groups.
The interior ministry has said it will deploy 70,000 police officers, ramping up the security presence in French cities, after the government was accused by opposition parties of failing to foresee the scale of the unrest on 17 October.
"We will not let anything go unchallenged," said Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
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