France Deploys 70,000 Police as Protests Erupt Nationwide

Protests erupted across France on Saturday with 70,000 police deployed amid government efforts to prevent a repeat of last week's riots and looting. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported 135 arrests by evening, including preemptive detentions for possessing fireworks and metal balls. He warned of calls from political groups and criminals to incite unrest, calling it a long day. The main Paris rally began peacefully, but police fired tear gas in Lyon. The government added 10,000 officers compared to October 17, when cost-of-living protests turned into France's worst unrest in years. Central Paris resembled a lockdown with boarded-up shops, closed museums, and over 20 metro stations shut. Cultural venues including the Louvre and Orsay closed preemptively, frustrating tourists.