Paris steps up security as police patrol streets

Since mid-September, students in France began protesting against poor conditions in public high schools, which quickly spread nationwide. The movement includes high schoolers, university students, and has expanded to include public sector workers and climate activists. On October 31, the French interior minister announced the deployment of 70,000 police officers across the country to prepare for planned protests coinciding with Halloween, citing a "very high risk" of disorder. This marks the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations focused on rising living costs and educational reforms. Protests have already seen incidents of looting and rioting in Paris and other cities, prompting authorities to take stringent measures such as rerouting marches and barring entry to areas previously hit by unrest.