France deploys 70,000 Police ahead of fresh protests, President Macron scraps Africa trip

France is set to deploy nearly 70,000 cops across the nation ahead of new protests this weekend, as some of the worst urban violence erupted in the country this year on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, the government confirmed on Friday (October 23). Amid the development, President Emmanuel Macron is postponing his scheduled visit to Nigeria and Senegal, which was set for later this month. Meanwhile, he held a meeting of his defence council of top ministers and officials and was to meet security forces.

The president will also host representatives of high school pupils for the first time, after protests over the conditions at their schools started, which later sparked the movement that turned into a nationwide violent protest against the government over the rising cost of living.

Sensitive timing for France

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez claimed at a press conference in Paris that some 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday. He warned that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media. The timing of the unrest is especially sensitive for France, coming just six months before elections to choose Macron’s successor, with a fresh poll showing far-right leader Marine Le Pen as the frontrunner, her lead reportedly bolstered by the recent turmoil.

Tensions are set to rise further this weekend as Le Pen hosts her National Rally (RN) party congress in Orleans, an event expected to draw thousands of supporters even as local authorities brace for possible clashes with opponents converging on the city. At the prime minister’s office’s request, Nunez was due to visit Orleans on Friday to review security preparations.

At Macron's meeting with students, "we will present our demands to him which remain the same: the state of school infrastructure and an overhaul of the Parcoursup (university admissions) system," Nathanael Combary, president of Renouveau Lyceen (High School Renewal), told AFP. Macron’s government, meanwhile, has tried to distinguish between protesters’ legitimate grievances and the looting, arson and vandalism that broke out alongside demonstrations last Saturday.