France braces for fresh unrest, government vows tough response
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government → brace → response
PARIS, Oct 31 - France will deploy a 70,000-strong police presence to contain a widely expected bout of fresh unrest on Saturday in the latest nationwide protests driven by anger over living costs, public services and President Emmanuel Macron's government.
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France → deploy → costs
The nationwide demonstrations, which fall on Halloween, come two weeks after riots and looting caught security forces off guard, leaving damaged shops, public buildings and businesses in cities across France.
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riots → fall → France
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has vowed not to let a repeat happen.
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repeat → vow → ?
"Everyone is on deck to ensure an extremely firm response to any trouble," Nunez told a news conference earlier this week as he set out details of security arrangements for a day he described as carrying "a very high risk" of unrest.
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he → ensure → unrest
Authorities are also alert to the possibility that rioters could use Halloween masks to conceal their identities.
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rioters → use → identities
Nunez noted that laws already allow police to ban face coverings when public order is at risk.
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order → note → risk
The US Embassy advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings are planned.
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demonstrations → advise → areas
The protests gathered pace in late September as Macron's minority government launched 2027 budget talks.
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government → gather → talks
Facing public debt approaching 120% of economic output and rising borrowing costs, the government is under pressure to rein in spending, narrowing its room for manoeuvre.
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government → face → manoeuvre
Students angry at the dilapidated state of many schools, crowded classes and a university admissions system widely seen as unfair have been joined by trade unions and a re-emergent "Yellow Vest" movement demanding action on the cost of living.
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Students → see → living
PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS EUROPE
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PROTESTS → spread → EUROPE
The protests have inspired youth-led protests across Europe, with demonstrations planned in more than 30 German cities on Saturday.
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demonstrations → inspire → Saturday
The French government's promises to reform education and ease fuel costs have failed to calm discontent.
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promises → reform → discontent
"When I was little, I was told young people were the future," said Aaron Berthier de Grandry, a 15-year-old high school student in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne who plans to join his third consecutive weekend of protests.
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who → tell → protests
"Well, if we, as the future of France, lack resources, that means France will end up collapsing."
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France → lack → resources
The unrest has handed a political boost to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads opinion polls ahead of April's presidential election, while potential centrist successors to Macron remain divided.
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successors → hand → Macron
The troubles are the latest blow to an economy which, data on Friday showed, was already shrinking in the third quarter.
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data → show → quarter
The Chamber of Commerce estimates losses to retailers exceed €1 billion ($1.1 billion).
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losses → estimate → billion
Other estimates put the total at double when including uninsured damage and lost revenue.
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estimates → put → damage
Along Paris' main shopping boulevards, early Christmas lights glow around boarded-up windows and security grilles.
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lights → glow → windows
Among the shops targeted in previous unrest were outlets belonging to luxury brands including Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Burberry.
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outlets → target → Hermes
The government is pushing ahead with a controversial law making rioters liable to pay up to €10,000 ($11,000) for damage caused either by themselves or by groups they are deemed to be part of.
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they → push → groups
Rights groups and some lawyers say the measure risks undermining the right to peaceful protest.
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measure → say → protest
The Aporia
