France students’ unrest: 70,000 police deployed, Paris museums closed ahead of fresh weekend protests

French authorities announced the deployment of around 70,000 law enforcement personnel, including gendarmes (military police), as the country braced for potential violence during another weekend of student-led protests.According to French interior minister Laurent Nuñez, who announced the security measures, elite police units would help protect public buildings, including city halls, after rioters set fire to the historic Limoges City Hall, a 143-year-old building, on October 17.“There have been numerous calls from radical far-left groups on social media to commit acts of violence and vandalism. There have also been renewed calls for looting, with those messages clearly being spread by rioters,” Nuñez told reporters at a news conference in Paris on Friday.“We will be absolutely uncompromising with those involved in violence. Police will have a very firm approach to making arrests, and there will be legal consequences,” he added.His statement came after protests last week descended into violence, with demonstrators setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police, marking France’s worst unrest in years.Demonstrators are now planning to take to the streets again on Saturday to protest the rising cost of living. Students, members of the CGT labour union and activists from the “Yellow Vest” movement, whose protests against social injustice shook France in 2018 and 2019, are expected to join the demonstrations.

Paris museums to remain closed

Meanwhile, France’s culture ministry announced the closure of several prominent museums in Paris.In a statement to The Associated Press, the ministry confirmed that the Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums, along with the Grand Palais, would remain closed. It also urged all institutions under its authority to take the necessary measures to ensure “visitor safety, staff protection and the preservation of artworks”.After two days of invitation-only admission, Art Basel Paris opened to the public on Friday, but only for the day, as fears of unrest prompted organisers to cancel the weekend programme. One of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, Art Basel features exhibitions by 211 international galleries at Paris’ Grand Palais.“This decision has not been taken lightly, and the safety of everyone involved in the fair remains our utmost priority,” organisers stated on Thursday.