France braces for another weekend of protests as authorities launch massive security operation

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France is bracing for yet another wave of protests this weekend with authorities racing to prevent a repeat of the kind of violence and riots that hit the nation last week.

French authorities will be launching a massive security operation with some 70,000 police officers deployed across the country over the weekend, according to the interior ministry.

Specialist SWAT units, helicopters, armored vehicles, police dogs and water cannons will all be part of the operation. On top of that, the number of French army soldiers that normally patrol Paris as part of the country’s counter-terrorism measures will be increased to free the police from stationary guard duties.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez issued a stark warning on Friday to anyone looking for trouble, saying the government would be “uncompromising with those who engage in destruction.”

Last week’s violence followed weeks of protests over education, dismal job prospects and the cost of living. Initially peaceful and attended mostly by students , the demonstrations quickly turned into the worst wave of deadly, nationwide violence in years.

This week, curfews were imposed in some cities to help maintain calm.

A large demonstration has been called for Saturday afternoon in Paris and French media are expecting hundreds of thousands of people to attend.

The protest is organized by France’s main student union, UNEF, with one of the country’s biggest trade unions, CGT, announcing it would join. Other groups are expected to attend, including farmers, climate activists and the Yellow Vests, the movement that first emerged in 2018 during the protests over fuel costs.

While the protest in Paris has been authorized by the authorities, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday banned all non-trade union protests on Saturday as he seeks to control the civil unrest.

But the preparations go well beyond bans and police warnings, especially since last week’s riots sparked criticism of the authorities for not taking the threat seriously enough.

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The City of Paris announced earlier this week it was clearing public spaces of equipment and materials that could be used to cause damage, including barriers, bins, construction material and other items.

Many of the main tourist sites in the French capital, including world-famous museums like the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie will be closed on Saturday.

Art Basel finished the Paris version of its fair on Friday, two days earlier than scheduled. The Paris National Opera cancelled its performances on Saturday, citing the protests as the reason, and at least two dozen metro stations will also be closed for much of the day, according to Paris municipal authorities.

An NFL game between Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints is set to take place at the Stade de France just outside of the capital on Sunday. While the match is scheduled to go ahead, a Steelers fan event in Paris was cancelled by the NFL.

During last weekend’s riots, at least two people died and multiple others suffered serious injuries, including two people who lost their hands. French Justice Minister Gérald ​Darmanin said some 2,700 people were held for questioning and 232 have been incarcerated in connection to the riots.

杰弗里·范德哈塞尔特/法新社/盖蒂图片社

法国正严阵以待，准备应对本周末可能出现的新一轮抗议活动，当局正争分夺秒地防止上周席卷全国的暴力和骚乱再次发生。

据法国内政部消息，法国当局将在周末展开大规模安全行动，在全国各地部署约7万名警察。

专业特警队、直升机、装甲车、警犬和水炮车都将参与此次行动。此外，作为法国反恐措施的一部分，通常在巴黎巡逻的法国陆军士兵人数也将增加，以减轻警察的固定警戒任务。

内政部长洛朗·努涅斯周五向任何寻衅滋事的人发出严厉警告，称政府将“对那些参与破坏活动的人毫不妥协”。

上周的暴力事件是在持续数周的抗议活动之后发生的，抗议活动的主题包括教育问题、黯淡的就业前景和高昂的生活成本。起初，这些示威活动以和平方式进行，参与者大多是学生，但很快演变成近年来最严重的、遍及全国的致命暴力事件。

本周，一些城市实施了宵禁以维持秩序。

巴黎已号召于周六下午举行大规模示威游行，法国媒体预计将有数十万人参加。

此次抗议活动由法国主要学生组织UNEF发起，法国最大的工会之一CGT也宣布将参与其中。预计其他团体也将参加，包括农民、气候活动人士以及“黄背心”运动——该运动最初于2018年因燃油价格上涨而兴起。

尽管巴黎的抗议活动已获得当局批准，但法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙周四禁止了周六所有非工会抗议活动，以控制社会动荡。

但准备工作远不止于禁令和警方警告，尤其是在上周的骚乱引发了对当局未能足够重视这一威胁的批评之后。

西蒙·沃尔法特/法新社/盖蒂图片社

巴黎市政府本周早些时候宣布，正在清理公共场所中可能造成破坏的设备和材料，包括路障、垃圾桶、建筑材料和其他物品。

法国首都巴黎的许多主要旅游景点，包括卢浮宫、奥赛博物馆和橘园美术馆等世界著名博物馆，将于周六关闭。

巴塞尔艺术展巴黎站于周五提前两天落下帷幕。巴黎国家歌剧院取消了周六的演出，理由是抗议活动。据巴黎市政府消息，至少有二十多个地铁站将在当天大部分时间关闭。

匹兹堡钢人队与新奥尔良圣徒队的NFL比赛将于周日在首都巴黎郊外的法兰西体育场举行。虽然比赛按计划进行，但NFL取消了在巴黎举行的钢人队球迷活动。

上周末的骚乱中，至少两人死亡，多人重伤，​​其中两人失去了双手。法国司法部长杰拉尔德·达尔马宁表示，约有2700人被拘留接受讯问，其中232人因与骚乱有关而被监禁。