France braces for protests with 70,000 police deployed

French authorities are preparing for mass protests on Saturday, October 24, deploying 70,000 law enforcement officers, with cultural venues set to close. Last week's protests escalated into riots, with demonstrators storming government buildings, smashing shop windows, looting, and clashing with police. Saturday's planned action protests the high cost of living, with students, CGT union members, and "yellow vest" activists expected to join. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons will be deployed, citing online calls for violence from radical far-left groups. Elite police units will protect public buildings, and the Louvre, Orsay, and Picasso museums will close.