France deploys 70,000 police for new protests as Macron delays Africa trip

France is preparing for a second nationwide protest weekend after demonstrations last Saturday were followed by severe urban violence. The government wants police to protect peaceful protesters while preventing looting, arson, and attacks. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also warned that social media was spreading calls for violence.

The security response will involve about 70,000 personnel nationwide. Macron held a defence council meeting, planned discussions with security forces, and met high-school representatives. The government has also restricted protest routes in Paris and closed Lyon’s city centre to demonstrators.

Macron’s planned visit to Nigeria and Senegal was postponed, according to aides, because the crisis demanded his presence in France. The unrest comes six months before a presidential election and has damaged the country’s image. It has also strengthened far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in polling, increasing the political pressure on Macron’s government.

The protests began with high-school students objecting to poor school infrastructure and demanding changes to Parcoursup, the university admissions system. Their concerns then joined a wider nationwide expression of anger about the rising cost of living and the government’s response. The movement therefore became much larger than a school-focused campaign.

Student representatives planned to present Macron with two continuing demands: better school infrastructure and an overhaul of Parcoursup. At the same time, trade union leaders argued that restricting demonstrations would not calm people. Marylise Leon said the government should offer concrete proposals and listen to the public’s anger.

The wider movement now combines student demands with economic and political grievances. Its expansion matters because the government must respond to legitimate complaints while separating them from looting and violence. The protests also arrive before a presidential election, making public anger politically significant.

France is increasing its security deployment by about 20 percent compared with the previous weekend. Around 70,000 security personnel will be used nationwide on Saturday. The increase followed criticism that police had not anticipated the earlier disorder well enough and had gathered insufficient intelligence.

The previous Saturday’s protests were accompanied by serious violence on the sidelines. Buildings and property were looted, burned, and ransacked. Courts later sent 217 people to prison, including many first-time offenders. Macron accused ultra-left groups of trying to bring down the republic and demanded the utmost severity against delinquency.

This weekend’s operation combines more personnel with tighter protest controls. Paris will permit only a limited route, while Lyon’s city centre will be closed to demonstrators. Authorities hope these measures prevent another outbreak, but trade unions warn that restrictions could intensify anger rather than restore calm.

Parcoursup is the university admissions system named by the protesting high-school students. The article does not explain its detailed rules, but it identifies the system as one of the students’ two central demands. Their other demand concerns the state of school infrastructure.

Nathanael Combary, president of Renouveau Lyceen, said students would present these demands to Macron. They want an overhaul of Parcoursup rather than only a response to the immediate protests. This shows that the movement includes a specific education-policy complaint alongside broader anger about living costs.

The system has become a symbol of students’ concerns about their transition from school to university. The article does not specify which admissions rules they want changed. It does show that Macron’s government must address these demands while managing protests that have expanded beyond education into a national political crisis.

The protests matter electorally because France is six months from an election to replace Macron. The violence has tarnished the country’s image and exposed pressure on the government. A Harris Interactive poll made after the violence showed Marine Le Pen leading the first round with 33–35 percent.

The government is trying to separate legitimate protest demands from criminal disorder. Courts have already sent 217 people to prison, half of them first-time offenders. Macron called for the utmost severity, while Human Rights Watch raised concerns about children being seriously injured by crowd-control weapons.

The political outcome is uncertain, but the article describes Le Pen’s position as strengthened. The poll projected her against Jean-Luc Melenchon in the runoff and said she would win easily, with about 70 percent. Continued violence could reinforce her law-and-order message, while harsh restrictions could intensify opposition anger.

Macron’s government is managing the crisis through security deployments, protest restrictions, and meetings with students. Students began the movement with demands about school infrastructure and Parcoursup. Trade unions, including the CFDT, oppose measures they see as counterproductive and want concrete responses to public anger.

Police and other security personnel must protect peaceful demonstrations while stopping violent disorder. Courts have already imposed unusually firm punishments, sending 217 people to prison. Macron blamed ultra-left groups for trying to bring down the republic. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is holding a congress while authorities fear clashes.

These actors pull the crisis in different directions. Students and unions seek recognition and policy change. The government and police prioritise safety, while courts emphasise punishment. Far-right forces benefit politically from insecurity, according to the polling described. The challenge is restoring order without making legitimate protesters feel ignored.

France’s presidential election uses two rounds when no candidate wins a majority in the first round. The first vote narrows the field. The leading candidates then compete in a runoff, and the candidate who wins that second vote becomes president. This prevents a crowded first-round field from deciding the result without a majority.

For example, the article says Marine Le Pen leads the first round on 33–35 percent. It also says Jean-Luc Melenchon is projected to face her in the runoff. Le Pen’s first-round lead would therefore place her in the final contest, but it would not by itself give her the presidency.

The article says the poll projected Le Pen would win the runoff by about 70 percent. That is a forecast, not the election result. The two-stage process matters because voters’ choices and alliances can change between rounds, even when one candidate leads initially.