Security forces are preparing for protests across Italy and France this weekend after demonstrations turned violent last week, prompting authorities to deploy thousands of personnel and tighten security measures.
France will deploy around 70,000 police officers and other security personnel nationwide on Saturday as it prepares for further protests following some of the country’s worst urban violence in years on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the deployment at a press conference in Paris on Friday, warning that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media, reports AFP.
The unrest comes at a critical time for France, six months before elections to replace Macron. A new poll has identified far-right candidate Marine Le Pen as the frontrunner and indicated that recent events have strengthened her position.
Meanwhile, In Italy, security forces are deploying in eight cities, including Rome and Milan, for demonstrations over budget cuts and the rising cost of living, particularly housing and fuel prices.
Students, truck drivers and farmers have joined the wave of protests.
In Milan, additional soldiers deployed after last weekend’s unrest will patrol the city centre. However, Mayor Giuseppe Sala said there were no plans to shut down the city.
Sala also urged shops to remain open on Saturday after looters targeted several boutiques in the fashion hub last weekend, while other businesses closed or removed their window displays.
The group calling itself the “October 17 Movement” has called for protests in eight Italian cities at 1300 GMT on Saturday. It said three demonstrations would take place in each city before converging at a single location, which would be disclosed only half an hour before the start.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right government adopted a security decree this week that eases detention rules for minors, introduces a crime of “violent participation in a demonstration” and imposes fines on parents for damage caused by their children during protests.
Police said on Friday they had conducted dozens of raids targeting people suspected of involvement in last weekend’s looting and rioting.
