France will deploy military troops and impose a temporary ban on carrying petrol, gas canisters and fireworks in the Paris region as it braces for new protests this weekend, officials said on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said some military forces from Operation Sentinelle would be deployed to free up police and gendarmes for the expected demonstrations on Saturday. “We will deploy the Sentinelle force… mostly to free police and gendarmes in their mission to maintain order,” Nuñez told the National Assembly, adding that the response to any unrest would be “firm.”
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu vowed a “massive” police deployment for demonstrations planned on Saturday, acknowledging failures in the government’s response to last weekend’s violence. Authorities had underestimated the scale of participation, with 60,000 security forces deployed against more than 500,000 demonstrators, according to Nuñez. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 2,331 people had been arrested.
Petrol ban and extended curfews
The restrictions on petrol and other items took effect Tuesday and will remain through Thursday, according to AFP. Authorities have also extended curfews in parts of Paris, Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain. On Tuesday, authorities maintained nighttime curfews in Paris and Lyon and introduced restrictions for unaccompanied minors in Marseille.
According to NPR, Paris police said restrictions around Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district had restored “public peace” and would remain in effect “for as long as necessary.” Lecornu said the targeted restrictions had “helped keep last night calm.”
New tactics promised
Nuñez said security forces would change their approach, prioritising rapid response and mobility to counter small, fast-moving groups. The government is also considering banning demonstrations that have not been notified to the authorities if they are judged likely to disrupt public order.
The protests, initially sparked by high school students over poor school conditions, have since expanded into broader demonstrations over rising living costs. Lecornu accused ultra-left radical groups of forging an “insurrectionary plan” that led to the violent rioting, while French police arrested a suspect in the fire that devastated the historic 1883 town hall in Limoges during the October 17 rioting.
