France braces for weekend protests as unrest spreads across Europe

France braces for another weekend of protests in Paris as anti-government discontent spreads across Europe, with a major demonstration scheduled Saturday afternoon and 70,000 police officers deployed nationwide. French authorities imposed curfews and altered the approved protest route, moving it from central Paris to the city's outskirts, a decision upheld in court despite union appeals. Last weekend's violence, which killed two people, followed weeks of protests over education, job prospects, and the cost of living. Similar unrest has hit Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Albania, driven by economic hardship and dissatisfaction with government responses. Security measures include helicopters, armored vehicles, and increased army patrols, while some museums and metro stations in Paris are closed.