Paris pushes Saturday march to city limits ahead of police surge

Police forced the main Paris protest onto the city's southeastern edge on Friday, changing the route just hours before the march was set to begin. The new path runs between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes, bypassing the planned center city route from Bastille to Nation. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said up to 70,000 officers would be deployed across France for the event. The security detail includes helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons.

The shift in location follows a week of unrest that left shops looted and vehicles burned. Last weekend's demonstrations drew more than half a million people. Organizers expect a similar crowd size on Saturday. The movement began last month over staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris. It has since expanded to include demands for better school buildings and higher wages.

Student groups released a joint 10-point plan earlier this week. The document calls for 250,000 additional places in higher education and an end to the Parcoursup admissions selection system. Students are also asking for an extra 200 euros per month in grants. They want a rent freeze in public student housing to help offset rising living costs.

Businesses in central Paris have braced for the crowd. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are closed for the day. The Grand Palais was hosting a major Cézanne exhibit. Art Basel opened its doors to the public for a single day on Friday before organizers cancelled the rest of the weekend program. Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, boarded up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station on Friday. He said the owner told him the move was necessary to save his life. Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted last weekend.

Local authorities banned several other scheduled rallies in cities including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier. Police used tear gas in Lyon on Saturday morning, according to French media reports. Trade unions criticized the bans, arguing they violate the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. In Limoges, two suspects were placed under formal investigation and held pending trial over the fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.

President Emmanuel Macron faces the crisis in the final stretch of his term. His popularity is at its lowest point since taking office in 2017. He stated that the security measures are needed to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings. In Orléans, thousands gathered for an anti-far-right protest alongside a congress of Marine Le Pen's party. Victoria Ambrosini, an art critic and teacher, said money is now concentrated in the hands of very few people.