France braces for weekend protests with curfews and military deployment

France is preparing to deploy military forces for protests scheduled for Saturday, October 24, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunié, who said the Sentinelle force will free up police for order maintenance. This follows Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's pledge of a "massive" police presence to restore order after last weekend's violent riots. Partial curfews were imposed Monday evening in areas including Paris and Nice, with Paris police announcing another curfew from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday in the Place de la République and Les Halles areas. Marseille is expected to impose a new nighttime curfew for minors until Friday. Thousands of rioters were arrested during the weekend demonstrations. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin promised "merciless" treatment of violence, while similar unrest spread to Belgium, Albania, and Italy. French authorities said no evidence confirms foreign presence among rioters, though politically active foreign students may be involved. La France Insoumise alleged a police operation targeted MP Raphaël Arnaud, which the party called a setup.