France Sends 70,000 Police Into the Streets for a Third Week of Protests on Halloween, With Retail Losses Put at Over $1 Billion
Authorities tracked at least 150 planned gatherings. A Paris march was banned and rerouted, and the government is drafting a law making rioters liable for up to 10,000 euros in damage.
France put 70,000 police officers on the streets Saturday as it braced for a third week of anti-government protests, Fox News reports.
The posture. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said earlier in the week that "everyone is on deck to ensure an extremely firm response to any trouble." The Interior Ministry has tracked at least 150 planned gatherings. Because the day is Halloween, some protesters were expected to wear masks to hide their identities.
On the ground. Fox says videos on social media Saturday appeared to show new clashes. One, posted on X by a journalist, appeared to show a Molotov cocktail thrown toward riot police in Paris. Another purported to show protesters breaking into a residential building in Marseille. Fox did not independently verify either clip. A planned march between the Place de la République and the Bastille was banned by France's top administrative court and rerouted to the eastern edge of the city, away from the main shopping areas.
The cost. France's Chamber of Commerce estimates retail losses from looting and property damage at more than $1 billion, and other estimates that count lost revenue run to double that. Luxury shops such as Hermès and Louis Vuitton have been targeted, and many shopping streets are now lined with protective boards. The government is writing a law that would make rioters who damage property liable for up to 10,000 euros, about $11,000.
How it started. Fox says the demonstrations began with young people protesting school conditions and pushing for education reform, then grew to include economic anxieties and rising fuel and borrowing costs. The government has promised education reform and lower fuel costs, but the protesters are not satisfied. "If we, as the future of France, lack resources, that means France will end up collapsing," one 15-year-old told Reuters.
The U.S. angle. The U.S. Embassy in France has told travelers to avoid areas where large gatherings are taking place.
Note for readers: Fox has not confirmed the social media videos, and this is a fast-moving story. Our earlier France coverage is on the site.