Police Restrictions and Museum Closures Precede Planned French Marches
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez authorized up to 70,000 officers while cultural institutions shut their doors for Saturday.
By Alina Campbell ·
French authorities moved Friday to alter the routes and restrict the timing of demonstrations planned for Saturday, following a week of unrest that damaged about 3,000 shops across the country. Police rerouted the Paris march to the city's southeastern edge between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes, replacing the originally planned path from Bastille to Nation. Officials also banned gatherings in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. French media reported that police deployed tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the state would deploy up to 70,000 officers nationwide. The operation includes helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. A small group of gendarmes stood beneath the Arc de Triomphe on Friday.
The movement began last month with staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris and has expanded to encompass funding for education and the cost of living. Students seek more teachers, improved school buildings, and additional university places. Trade unions are demanding higher wages and pensions. A 10-point plan issued by student groups calls for 250,000 new higher education slots, an end to selection through the Parcoursup admissions system, a monthly grant increase of 200 euros, and a rent freeze in public student housing.
Cultural institutions prepared to close for the weekend. The Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are shut on Saturday. Art Basel opened for one day on Friday before organizers cancelled the weekend program. Shopkeepers boarded up storefronts throughout the week. Contractor Akram Ahmed, 34, was covering a window near Saint-Lazare station, saying he received the call the previous night.
Trade unions have called the local bans on marches violations of freedom of expression, a right protected by the French constitution. Two suspects in the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall in Limoges have been placed under formal investigation and held pending trial; the probe includes attempted murder of a public official.
President Emmanuel Macron's approval ratings sit at their lowest point since he took office in 2017. He stated that the measures are necessary to protect city centres, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, about 110 kilometres south of Paris, thousands attended an anti-far-right demonstration held alongside a two-day congress of Marine Le Pen's party.
Art critic and Saint-Denis University art teacher Victoria Ambrosini said money is concentrated in the hands of a small number of people, adding, "it's not possible anymore."
