PARIS, Oct 20 (Reuters) – France will bolster the police presence with soldiers and carry out a major security operation for the new protests planned for Saturday, the government said on Tuesday, acknowledging failures in its response to the violence of the past weekend.
“The mobilization next Saturday will be massive,” said Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, adding that the immediate priority is to restore order after the disturbances and looting that swept Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities on October 17.
In a sometimes heated debate, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that the military would be mobilized alongside the police, while the government pledged to overhaul its tactics after widespread criticism that the centers of the cities had been left vulnerable.
Framing the crisis as a choice “between violence and the Republic,” Lecornu attributed responsibility for the disturbances to far-left groups, who, in turn, accused the government of underestimating the public’s anger over the high cost of living and the decline of public services.
The unrest shocked France as much for its scale as for the apparent inability of the police to contain it, inflaming tensions on the eve of next year’s presidential elections, with far-right and far-left candidates performing well in polls.
Protests in other European countries, including Italy and Albania, raised concerns that anger over living standards risked spreading across the continent, at a time when many nations, including France, face budgetary pressures.
A night of relative calm in France followed the selective curfews imposed in several areas affected by the chaos, which, according to the government, helped to restore control. The localized curfews, some directed at children and teenagers under 18, were extended until Tuesday night, police said.
Lecornu acknowledged failures in the state’s response over the weekend, saying there were intelligence failures, while the police’s stance was too static and authorities made the mistake of not canceling scheduled leave for police officers.
Nuñez apologized for the errors. “I deeply regret what happened. I accept my share of responsibility,” he said.
The Carrefour supermarket chain reported tens of millions of euros in losses due to theft and damage, warning that it faced an “unprecedented situation” because of the disturbances.
The main student union in France, UNEF, called for new protests on Saturday, pledging to keep pressure on Macron’s government over what it sees as a deteriorating education system with insufficient funding. “We will continue,” the union said on social media.
On the other hand, groups identifying as “Gilets Jaunes” (Yellow Vests) called for protests against rising fuel prices.
The Yellow Vests movement, virtually dormant in recent years, had emerged in 2018 during Macron’s first term in response to plans to raise gasoline taxes. The road blockades stretched for months until the government made costly concessions that it now cannot afford.
