France mobilizes troops and security forces for Saturday’s protests

France will deploy a “massive” security operation on Saturday after protests over the cost of living descended into violence in several parts of the country last weekend. Authorities are preparing to manage demonstrations involving large numbers of participants who are dispersed and difficult to control.

Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the additional mobilization on Tuesday, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez presented the security plan to Parliament. Soldiers from Operation Sentinelle will take over some static-guard duties, allowing police officers and gendarmes to focus on maintaining public order.

Operation Sentinelle was launched in January 2015 and includes approximately 10,000 troops, deployed mainly near sensitive sites such as places of worship, schools, train stations, airports and tourist areas. The troops were also mobilized for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

The Interior Ministry is considering banning undeclared demonstrations or those posing risks to public order. The measure could also target officially declared protests if organizers do not provide sufficient security guarantees. Authorities will intensify intelligence-gathering activities to assess the number of participants and identify radical groups.