France deploys 70,000 security personnel ahead of fresh protests

France plans to deploy about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide on Saturday, 10,000 more than the previous weekend, after protests ended in violence and looting. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the operation would include specialised units, helicopters, drones, armoured vehicles and water cannons. Demonstrations over the cost of living, pressure on public services and school conditions deteriorated in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities. Authorities have restricted or banned protests in several cities, and the Louvre and other Paris cultural institutions are scheduled to close as a precaution.