French Protest Movement Splits as Rival Rallies Planned in Paris

New demonstrations are planned in France this weekend, but the protest movement is splitting as different factions organize separate events. Student unions and trade unions are holding permitted demonstrations on Saturday, including in central Paris, against high living costs and in support of young people. The Yellow Vests refuse to join them, instead organizing protests at around a hundred locations nationwide, calling for gatherings at Place de la Concorde without permission and urging civil disobedience. Interior Minister Sébastien Lecornu has deployed 70,000 police and security forces across the country. Demonstrations have largely been peaceful, but major gatherings in mid-October were followed by violence and looting.