France deploys 70,000 police ahead of weekend protests after Paris riots

France is mobilizing 70,000 police officers nationwide ahead of Saturday's demonstrations, following violent riots on October 17 that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called "completely unacceptable." Authorities are deploying armored vehicles and water cannons to prevent a repeat of the unrest. Shopkeepers in Paris are boarding up storefronts, and the city has urged residents to remove objects that could be used as projectiles or barricades. Several demonstrations have been banned, with President Emmanuel Macron saying only union-registered protests should be allowed, drawing criticism from a judges' union over proportionality. Macron accused "ultra-left" groups of attempting to overthrow the Republic during last Saturday's riots, which began as student protests over school resources and expanded into broader demonstrations against purchasing power. Curfews remain in effect in sensitive urban areas, including two central Paris squares from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.