France on High Alert: 70,000 Police Deployed as Yellow Vests Plan 338 Protests Over High Cost of Living

Paris, The Gulf Observer: France is bracing for another weekend of mass protests, with around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes being mobilised across the country as the “Yellow Vests” movement holds a new day of action against the high cost of living.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said between 50 and 60 marches are expected nationwide on Saturday. He plans to deploy as many security personnel as during the three previous rounds of weekend demonstrations since October 24.

Yellow Vests Protests: Up to 60,000 Expected in Paris

A police source told media that between 30,000 and 60,000 people are expected to join the Yellow Vests protest in Paris, possibly including “300 to 600 high-risk individuals.”

The scale of the expected turnout has prompted authorities to keep security at the same high level seen in recent weeks, as the cost-of-living protests continue to draw large crowds in the French capital and beyond.

Paris March Route: République to Nation via Bastille

The Paris demonstration is due to set off from Place de la République at 1:00 pm and head towards Place de la Nation, passing through Bastille.

Organisers and authorities say the route is designed to let families with children leave the march before the dispersal and to avoid the clashes with police that often break out when demonstrations break up.

338 Yellow Vests Demonstrations Listed Nationwide

The Yellow Vests coordination group, which has helped organise Saturday demonstrations across France since October 17 to protest the “high cost of living,” listed 338 demonstrations nationwide on its website on Friday afternoon for Saturday’s day of action.

The gap between the organisers’ figure of 338 events and the Interior Minister’s estimate of 50 to 60 marches reflects how many smaller local gatherings are expected alongside the main processions in major cities.

Cost-of-Living Anger Keeps Movement Alive

The return of the Yellow Vests to France’s streets shows the depth of public frustration over rising prices and household expenses. Weekly demonstrations since mid-October have kept the cost-of-living issue at the centre of the national debate, while the government has responded with a heavy security presence to keep order.

Weekend of Tension Ahead

With tens of thousands expected in Paris, hundreds of demonstrations planned across the country and around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on duty, France faces another tense Saturday as the Yellow Vests protests enter their latest round.