France is bracing for more protests this weekend after a week of turmoil and upheaval across the country following riots and looting last weekend.
asserted
France → brace → riots
The country faced unprecedented violence after student protests led to clashes with police, which caused at least one teenager to have his hand blown off by a stun grenade and a one-year-old toddler to be hospitalised after a firework went off near his pram.
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firework → face → pram
Justice minister Gerald Darmanin said that at least 217 people had been jailed in connection with the violence over the last week after undergoing fast-track trials to curtail the disorder.
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people → say → disorder
Police deployments are also to be increased by 20 per cent, according to the country’s interior minister Jean-Didier Berger.
uncertain
deployments → increase → minister
But president Emmanuel Macron said that this weekend’s demonstrations will be strictly limited to those organised by authorised unions.
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demonstrations → say → unions
Cities including Nice and Lyon have imposed complete bans but Macron said that only “illegitimate” protests would not be allowed.
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protests → include → bans
“The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations,” he announced.
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he → announce → ?
“Those who want to continue to demonstrate, when they are trade union organisations, will have alternative routes proposed by the prefects.
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they → want → prefects
“When they're not union organisations, wherever possible, they'll be banned.”
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they → ban → ?
Officials fear it could be another volatile weekend as fresh demonstrations have already begun taking shape.
uncertain
demonstrations → fear → shape
France's main student union, UNEF, called for rallies on Saturday, while the anti-establishment “Yellow Vest” movement has filed plans for a march through central Paris.
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movement → call → Paris
Businesses across central Paris begun boarding up their shop windows this week in case of violence and luxury goods shop Hermes said it had stepped up security measures at its stores.
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it → begin → stores
In unrest last week, stores were seen with their windows smashed and torched to the ground.
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windows → see → ground
Luxury retailers including Louis Vuitton saw widespread looting as people took advantage of the disorder to steal expensive items from the brand.
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people → include → brand
Both Louis Vuitton and Hermes reported looting during last weekend’s riots.
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Vuitton → report → riots
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers cancelled a weekend fan event in Paris as French authorities prepared for fresh protests ahead of the NFL's first regular-season game in the capital.
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authorities → cancel → capital
The team are set to face the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday, which is located around 10 kilometres from the Place de la Bastille, where Saturday's protests are expected to begin.
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protests → set → Bastille
The Steelers said that a "Steelers House" fan event in the Bastille neighbourhood would no longer go forward.
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event → say → neighbourhood
Darmanin said on Thursday that around 2,700 people had been taken into police custody since Saturday, in connection with riots and looting, in an interview with French news channel LCI.
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people → say → LCI
French police have faced backlash for their handling of the demonstrations as some criticised forces for being too heavy-handed after tear gas and batons were used on protesters.
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gas → face → protesters
One teenager told media that he had been left “traumatised” by his experience.
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he → tell → experience
According to Al Jazeera, 17-year-old Enzo was struck from behind with a baton by a police officer while another grabbed his arm.
uncertain
another → accord → arm
He was left with his head covered in blood and needing stitches.
“I am still traumatised.
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I → leave → stitches
Instead of protecting us, they are attacking us,” Enzo said.
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Enzo → protect → us
Another minor, 14-year-old Eden, has been left unable to speak after his jaw was smashed after a police officer fired a tear gas grenade at his face in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumone.
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officer → leave → l’Aumone
“They are losing a generation,” Ainoha Pascual, a lawyer at the Paris Bar, told Al Jazeera.
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Pascual → lose → Jazeera
“The government is implementing a strategy of terror.
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government → implement → terror
Because when you maim someone, when you seriously injure someone, it means that that person, and indeed everyone around them, will not return to demonstrations.
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person → maim → demonstrations
According to Acled data analysed by The Guardian, France does not have the highest number of protests in Europe, but it does report a faster acceleration into high-intensity unrest.
uncertain
it → accord → unrest
Thousands of French citizens have also protested the introduction of laws that could further protect police, in what they dub as a “license to kill” clause that entrenches a presumption of innocence when an officer employs the use of force.
uncertain
officer → protest → force
Several demonstrations by the “yellow vest” movement have been banned after they were reported to be behind much of last week’s demonstrations.
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they → ban → demonstrations
The group has announced a second wave this week.
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group → announce → wave
Around 550,000 people took part in the protests last weekend.
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people → take → protests
They began as a movement against a lack of teaching staff and dilapidated school buildings and have since grown into a more far-reaching protest against other issues including the rising cost of living.
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They → begin → living
In comments on Thursday, Macron blamed elements of what he called the “hard left” for the unrest.
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he → blame → unrest
"Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic,” he said.
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he → have → Republic
The demonstrations have occurred at the same time as protests across Italy, Albania and other European countries.
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demonstrations → occur → Italy