PARIS — The French government announced Tuesday that it will mobilize domestic military units to secure static sites across the country ahead of expected demonstrations this weekend, following days of chaotic rioting and street clashes that overwhelmed law enforcement in several major cities.
Addressing lawmakers in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said personnel from France’s Sentinelle force, a domestic military operation established after the 2015 terror attacks, will be deployed primarily on static security missions, CNBC reported. The move is designed to relieve police and gendarmes so they can directly conduct law enforcement operations on the streets.
Massive Security Mobilization Planned
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament that the state is preparing a massive security presence for Saturday, Le Monde and CNBC reported. Lecornu said the primary objective is an immediate return to civil order after violent outbursts shocked the nation over the weekend.
Localized overnight curfews brought a measure of stability from Monday night into Tuesday morning in parts of Paris, Lyon, Nice, Lille and Bordeaux, according to ABC News. In some municipalities, including Nice and Lille, authorities restricted movements specifically for minors. Lecornu posted on social media that regional prefects and mayors will coordinate additional curfews wherever conditions demand them.
Nuñez reported that authorities have taken 2,513 people into custody in connection with the unrest, with 67 individuals sent to prison and dozens of court investigations underway, ABC News reported. Nuñez acknowledged that roughly 60,000 officers had been deployed but were still unable to stop widespread looting in urban hubs such as Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
In Marseille, one officer identified as Blaise told the BBC that forces were completely overwhelmed as agitators sparked clashes and others looted stores. Blaise said police fired 4,000 tear gas canisters before exhausting their supply of ammunition, leaving units with no choice but to pull back.
Mounting Damage and Political Backlash
Business representatives have sharply criticized the state’s handling of the unrest. Fabrice Le Saché, vice president of the French business federation MEDEF, told CNBC that more than 3,000 shops had been pillaged, warning that the scale of destruction had severely undermined public and commercial trust in government protection. In central France, counterterrorism prosecutors are examining a weekend arson fire that gutted the historic Limoges Town Hall, ABC News reported.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has drawn harsh criticism from across the political spectrum for departing on a three-day diplomatic trip to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar during the height of the crisis, Fox News and CNBC reported. Macron defended the Gulf tour on Sunday as essential to securing national energy supplies and curbing elevated fuel prices.
Opposition figures have seized on the disorder ahead of France’s April 2027 presidential election. Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing National Rally, accused the administration of impotence, while left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon alleged that officials leaned on police brutality to conceal governing failures, according to Fox News. Nuñez submitted his resignation on Monday, but Macron declined the offer, insisting that steady leadership was necessary.
Economic Strain and What Comes Next
What began in September as student demonstrations over conditions in the education system has expanded into nationwide protests over surging living expenses and deteriorating public services, ABC News reported. Similar economic demonstrations also surfaced over the weekend in Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Albania.
In France, the unrest coincides with intense parliamentary disputes over the 2027 state budget and rising sovereign borrowing costs. Lecornu announced that the government will establish an emergency fund to assist looted and vandalized businesses while negotiating with insurance providers to accelerate compensation. Authorities and business owners are now bracing to see whether Saturday’s planned military and police mobilization will successfully deter another weekend of violent disruptions.
