France: 70,000 police officers deployed nationwide on Saturday to maintain order

London, October 23 (KUNA) -- French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on Friday the deployment of 70,000 police and gendarme officers across France to maintain public order and prevent a recurrence of the riots that marred last weekend’s protests. Speaking to journalists, Minister Nunez said authorities would deploy “70,000 police and gendarme officers nationwide to deal with the demonstrations scheduled for October 24.” He added that “there will be absolutely no tolerance for violence, including riots and looting,” emphasizing that decisive measures would be taken to arrest those involved and hold them legally accountable.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that illegal protests would be banned in the country, and that demonstrations organized solely by trade unions would be permitted only in locations away from commercial areas to prevent looting and riots. Several French cities witnessed protests and riots last Saturday, resulting in the burning of government buildings and acts of looting. According to French Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin, police arrested approximately 2,700 people, with 217 of them sentenced to prison, while around 1,000 others still face legal proceedings. (End)