SAEDNEWS: France will send military personnel from its counterterrorism unit to assist police as a new wave of nationwide protests begins, while the government prepares a large-scale security operation following some of the country’s worst riots in years.
According to Saednews, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on Tuesday that troops from Operation Sentinelle, the military mission established to protect France against terrorist attacks, would be deployed ahead of demonstrations scheduled for Saturday, RT reported.
The soldiers will primarily guard sensitive sites, allowing police officers and gendarmes to focus on confronting rioters and preventing a repeat of last weekend’s widespread violence and looting. According to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, 1,000 military personnel will be available in Paris on October 24, including 500 assigned to patrol duties, compared with the usual 300.
Operation Sentinelle was launched following the deadly Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in January 2015. The mission involves up to 10,000 soldiers tasked with protecting sensitive locations across France, including railway stations, airports, religious buildings, and tourist attractions.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has promised an unprecedented security response after acknowledging that authorities failed to contain Saturday’s violence.
“The deployment for next Saturday will be massive,” Lecornu told lawmakers, accusing radical left-wing groups of orchestrating an “insurrectionary plan” during protests against soaring living costs.
Nunez also announced plans to deploy elite police units, including RAID, GIGN, and BRI, alongside helicopters, Centaure armored vehicles, and water cannons. Authorities are also considering banning demonstrations deemed likely to pose a threat to public order.
The announcement follows nationwide unrest on October 17, when approximately 550,000 people took to the streets to protest rising prices and deteriorating conditions in schools. Demonstrations escalated into riots in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux, with businesses looted and buildings set ablaze.
According to Le Monde, 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously, as overwhelmed security forces struggled to bring the violence under control.
More than 2,400 people have been arrested, while over 800 have appeared before the courts. Authorities have also introduced localized curfews in Paris and several other cities.
President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged shortcomings in the government’s response to the unrest, which has heightened political tensions ahead of next year’s presidential election.
