France deploys military and boosts police by 20% to curb fresh riots

France is deploying military forces and increasing police presence by 20% to prevent a repeat of last weekend's riots, which saw 3,000 stores looted and 2,700 arrests during cost-of-living protests. Special counter-terrorism units, helicopters, water cannons, and armored vehicles will support operations nationwide. At least 75% of the police force will be mobilized, with many postponing days off, according to union official Thierry Clair. President Emmanuel Macron announced that only labor-union-organized protests will be approved, a restriction criticized by left-wing lawmakers as a historic attack on the right to protest. The unrest is heightening financial concerns, with French 10-year bond spreads over Germany reaching their highest since 2011, and Moody's potentially downgrading France's rating. Saturday's protests, dubbed "Acte II," target Macron's unpopular government, while museums in Paris and protests in Marseille and Lyon face closures or bans.