France plans troop deployment and major security operation for Saturday protests

Paris, France. France’s government said on Tuesday that troops would support police in a major security operation ahead of further protests scheduled for Saturday. It acknowledged failures in its handling of the previous weekend’s violence.

Security deployment and curfews

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said restoring order was the immediate priority following the October 17 rioting and looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities.

“The deployment next Saturday will be massive,” he said.

During a debate that was at times rowdy, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that soldiers would operate alongside police. The government also promised changes to its tactics following extensive criticism that urban centres had been left exposed.

Several areas hit by the disorder experienced a comparatively quiet night after targeted curfews were introduced. The government credited those restrictions with helping it regain control. Police said the local measures, including some applying to children and teenagers younger than 18, had been prolonged through Tuesday night.

Failures acknowledged as investigations begin

Lecornu accepted that the state’s weekend response had fallen short. He cited intelligence shortcomings, police deployments that lacked mobility and the authorities’ failure to cancel scheduled police leave.

Nunez apologised for the errors, saying: “I deeply regret what happened. I accept my share of responsibility,”

Parliament is establishing an inquiry commission to determine what caused the unrest. Authorities have also tasked 200 investigators with identifying and locating people involved in the street violence.

Political tensions and wider European concerns

Lecornu portrayed the crisis as a choice between the Republic and violence, attributing the unrest to far-left groups. Those groups, in turn, accused the government of failing to grasp the depth of public anger about expensive living conditions and deteriorating public services.

The extent of the turmoil and the police’s apparent inability to bring it under control shocked France. It also heightened tensions before next year’s presidential election, with far-right and hard-left candidates registering strong support in opinion polls.

Demonstrations elsewhere in Europe, including Italy and Albania, have fuelled concerns that frustration over living standards could spread across the continent while France and many other countries face budget difficulties.