Watch: Paris shops increase security, board up windows, as France braces for protests
Shopkeepers in Paris and other French cities are boarding up windows and increasing security in anticipation of fresh anti-government protests, a week after violent demonstrations led to widespread vandalism and looting. Authorities are deploying 70,000 police officers across France to manage the planned demonstrations, including a far-right party congress in Orléans.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing social unrest and potential for violence in France, impacting businesses, public safety, and the government's ability to maintain order. It also shows the economic consequences of such protests.
Shopkeepers in Paris are boarding up windows and securing their premises ahead of fresh anti-government protests scheduled across France on Saturday, a week after demonstrations escalated into violent riots that left thousands of businesses vandalised or looted.The unrest last weekend saw more than 2,500 people arrested across the country, while the French government said around 450 shops in Paris alone were damaged or looted.Businesses are now preparing for possible further disruption as authorities step up security measures and demonstrations are planned in several cities.At Place de la République in central Paris, shopfronts were left with shattered windows, graffiti-covered walls and burnt-out kiosks and bus shelters after the previous weekend's violence.Restaurant owner Abdul Mahmoud was quoted by NPR as saying that he watched in horror as people broke into his establishment, took drinks and emptied cash registers.“We all have a right to protest,” he said, “but vandalism, that's a different matter.”Shopkeepers…
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