France deploys 70,000 police ahead of Saturday protests
France is deploying 70,000 police officers in Paris for Saturday protests, including an authorized march by unions and student groups and a banned Yellow Vest rally. The G7 foreign ministers meeting was moved from Marseille to Paris for logistical reasons.
France is preparing for planned protests on Saturday in Paris, with about 70,000 police officers mobilized to prevent chaos in the streets. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez noted that fewer groups have submitted requests for rally permits compared to Thursday, but there is still potential for spontaneous protests and clashes. Against this backdrop, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that it would move the G7 foreign ministers' meeting from Marseille to Paris next week for 'logistical and operational' reasons. The meeting was scheduled to take place on November 9 and 10 at the Palais du Pharo, a 19th-century building overlooking the port of Marseille, located less than 1.6 km from the streets that were looted last month. The article notes that no deaths have been recorded as a direct result of the violence, except for one person who died of a heart attack during a rally on October 17.