France Deploys Reinforcements Ahead of Saturday Protests as Police Tactics Face Scrutiny

This Saturday, France's Interior Ministry plans to increase the number of police officers on the streets by 20 percent compared to last weekend's protests, as announced by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. This decision comes in response to demonstrations concerning escalating living costs and inadequate school conditions, where law enforcement felt outmatched. In light of extensive looting and disturbances, regional authorities have enacted comprehensive bans on protests in major cities like Lyon and Marseille. Nunez indicated that special intervention units typically assigned to counter-terrorism could be mobilized if necessary, and military personnel would assist in securing critical sites. Additionally, resources such as helicopters, water cannons, and Centaur armored vehicles are on standby. Police are facing scrutiny regarding their crowd-control methods, particularly the use of 'intermediate-force' weapons, after previous incidents resulted in serious injuries to some teenagers.