France to deploy 70,000 security forces for Saturday amid calls for radical rallies

Paris, France. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday, October 31, is shaping up as “a very high risk” day for public order, and that 70,000 security personnel will again be deployed across the country.

Calls for gatherings on Halloween

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Nunez said several radical groups had used social media to urge violent gatherings on Saturday, which coincides with Halloween. He said the reaction of the security forces would be “extremely firm.”

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The minister pointed to the evening as the period of greatest concern, once the more mainstream demonstrations have finished.

Nunez said appeals for rallies were coming from the labour movement, the radicalized far left and certain radicalized “Yellow Vests” websites. According to him, these appeals encourage people to gather on public streets in many French cities from 8:00 p.m. on October 31, and some carry messages he described as quite radical. He added that the date represents a serious public order risk.

Previous protests

The Interior Ministry reported that 410,000 people joined marches last Saturday, when 70,000 police officers were on duty. The ministry said this helped prevent a repetition of the looting and vandalism seen in many cities on October 17.

Further action planned

Labour leaders and students have called for more protests on October 31 and for a nationwide strike on November 5. They say discontent over wages, living costs and public services has spread well beyond the student movement that began mobilising last month.