France Deploys 70,000 Police as Protests Threaten Paris Landmarks
France deployed 70,000 police nationwide on Saturday, including anti-terrorism soldiers in Paris, ahead of protests feared to turn violent, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez urging officers to be "hyper-reactive" against troublemakers and looters. Authorities mobilized 10,000 more officers than on October 17, when vandalism and looting damaged thousands of shops and businesses. Paris landmarks like the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and the Opera House closed, while over 20 metro stations shut and many retailers boarded up storefronts. The main Paris march was moved to the city's southeastern fringes, angering hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. An authorized protest against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally began in Orleans, amid heightened tensions from a Friday shooting west of Paris.