PARIS \u2014 The French government is preparing a large-scale security\noperation involving military personnel to anticipate a new wave of\ndemonstrations on Saturday (24 October 2026). The move follows protests\nagainst the high cost of living that ended in rioting and looting in\nseveral major French cities last weekend.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu pledged on Tuesday (20 October 2026)\nto deploy a substantial security force ahead of further demonstrations.\nThe government has also acknowledged shortcomings in its handling of the\nprevious unrest.<\/p>\n
Interior Minister Laurent Nu\u00f1ez said military personnel from\nOperation Sentinelle would be deployed to help secure the\ndemonstrations. Their presence is intended to relieve police and the\ngendarmerie\u2014France\u2019s military police\u2014of static guard duties, allowing\nthem to focus on managing crowds and public disorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will deploy a large number of personnel,\u201d Lecornu told\nparliament, according to Euronews on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Nu\u00f1ez said military personnel would take over some guard duties at\nselected locations. This would give police greater freedom to respond to\ngroups of rioters moving quickly from place to place.<\/p>\n
Operation Sentinelle is a military mission launched in January 2015\nto protect French territory against terrorist attacks. Around 10,000\nmilitary personnel are stationed across the country, including near\nplaces of worship, schools, tourist areas, railway stations and\nairports.<\/p>\n
The troops were also involved in security operations for the Paris\n2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n
Nu\u00f1ez said security forces would change their approach, prioritising\nrapid response and mobility. The strategy is intended to address the\nthreat posed by small, fast-moving groups that could spark unrest at\nseveral locations.<\/p>\n
The government is also considering banning demonstrations that have\nnot been notified to the authorities if they are judged likely to\ndisrupt public order. Even demonstrations notified to local authorities\ncould be prohibited if there are strong indications that organisers\ncannot prevent violence.<\/p>\n
Nu\u00f1ez said, however, that security planning for peaceful\ndemonstrations should take account of routes that avoid government\nbuildings and shopping districts. Authorities would also step up\nintelligence-gathering to estimate turnout and identify groups\nconsidered likely to engage in violence.<\/p>\n
The measures follow unrest on Saturday (17 October 2026), when\ndemonstrations against rising living costs turned into clashes,\nvandalism and looting in several cities.<\/p>\n
According to figures from the French Interior Ministry cited by\nEuronews, around 550,000 people demonstrated across the country,\nincluding about 110,000 in Paris.<\/p>\n
There was also unrest in Marseille. Some demonstrators broke into the\ntown hall, while businesses in various cities closed or protected their\nshopfronts in anticipation of looting.<\/p>\n
The government previously reported that around 2,400 people had been\narrested during the unrest. Security forces also faced criticism for\nbeing insufficiently prepared for the large number of demonstrators and\nthe rapid escalation of violence.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations have brought together people protesting against\nthe high cost of living and rising fuel prices, as well as students\ndemanding improvements to education.<\/p>\n
Economic pressures have further inflamed the political climate amid\ndebate over the state budget and the government\u2019s austerity plans. Some\ngroups say public services and education are not receiving adequate\nsupport.<\/p>\n
The latest wave of protests has also revived memories of the gilets\njaunes, or Yellow Vests, movement that emerged in 2018. It began with\nopposition to planned fuel tax increases and grew into a symbol of anger\nover government economic policies and social inequality.<\/p>\n
President Emmanuel Macron has called for the right to express\nopinions to be respected, but said it must not be used to justify\nviolence and destruction.<\/p>\n
The government now faces the challenge of restoring order without\ndisregarding the social grievances that have brought people onto the\nstreets. The deployment of troops and the possible banning of\ndemonstrations are part of efforts to prevent unrest from spreading\nagain this weekend.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/france-deploys-military-to-secure-demonstrations-1792540230", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }