French opposition challenges protest restrictions as 70,000 officers mobilized for Saturday

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - French left-wing and green parties filed an emergency appeal on Friday against restrictions on demonstrations, as authorities prepared to deploy 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide Saturday, according to media reports.

The Ecologists, France Unbowed (LFI), the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, and several other political groups filed the joint challenge with the Council of State, Le Parisien daily reported.

The parties challenged President Emmanuel Macron’s instructions concerning bans on demonstrations organized by groups he considers illegitimate and changes to union march routes without individual assessments.

The appeal comes amid mounting tensions about security measures introduced after violence and looting during last weekend’s demonstrations.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday’s deployment would include local police and mobile units, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. Some officers have been recalled from leave.

Nunez said authorities had identified online calls for looting and attacks on public buildings, including from radical far-left groups, and pledged firm action against those responsible for violence.

- Up to half a million could take part in demonstrations

Some 400,000-500,000 people are expected to demonstrate, according to a territorial intelligence assessment cited by the newspaper.

High school student representatives urged continued protests after meeting Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday.

“We are calling for continued mobilization,” said Nathanael Combary, the head of Renouveau Lyceen.

He said the meeting created an opening that protesters needed to seize to achieve concrete progress. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is scheduled to meet student organizations on Monday.

In Paris, unions rejected a police proposal to move Saturday’s procession from the previously agreed Bastille-Nation route to one between Porte de Vincennes and Porte d’Italie.

Organizers said they would gather at the Bastille as planned, arguing they could not secure the alternative route.

Authorities also approved aerial surveillance in Paris and prohibited leaving furniture or materials on public roads that could be used as weapons or barricades. The overnight curfew around Place de la Republique and Les Halles was extended until Monday morning.

- Restrictions

In Limoges, restrictions set to last through Monday include a curfew in designated areas and a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people within a specified perimeter.

Other restrictions affect central areas of Lyon – France’s third-largest city by population – as well as Besancon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Laval. In Marseille – the second-largest – authorities approved a union-organized march as an exception to broader restrictions.

Several museums and cultural venues in Paris and Lyon announced closures for Saturday. A Paris Saint-Germain-Lyon football match was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to demands on police resources.

In Orleans, 3,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed during the weekend as the far-right National Rally holds its congress and opponents stage a counter-demonstration.

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said 232 people had been incarcerated following last weekend’s violence, while more than 1,000 were brought before judicial authorities.

Necva Taştan Sevinç