[Video] France fears a new wave of violence: 70,000 police, closed museums and protected shops

French authorities have deployed approximately 70,000 police officers nationwide to suppress a new wave of protests, following violent riots that erupted during student demonstrations one week prior. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the massive security deployment on Friday, warning that calls for violence and looting are circulating on social media platforms. To mitigate risks, several major cultural institutions in Paris, including the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Grand Palais, have closed their doors. Additionally, the Tuileries Gardens and the Arc de Triomphe are inaccessible to the public, and access restrictions apply to the Champs-Elysées avenue. The current unrest stems from nationwide demonstrations regarding the high cost of living, which initially began as student marches. Last week, these gatherings devolved into widespread disorder, characterized by clashes with law enforcement, arson, and the looting of hundreds of stores. Approximately 2,700 individuals were arrested during that period. Retailers across France have adopted defensive measures in anticipation of further vandalism. In Paris, shopkeepers in the Bastille neighborhood and along prestigious shopping districts have covered storefronts and display windows with wooden boards. One clothing store reportedly removed all merchandise from its shelves, while a nearby restaurant boarded up its entrance despite posting signs indicating it remained open. Violence has already begun in several cities on Friday. In Lyon, located in southeastern France, police used tear gas to disperse a group of roughly 150 protesters who attempted to block a road near a university faculty building and a police station. Demonstrations were explicitly banned in that area. Similar incidents occurred in Clermont-Ferrand, where riot police utilized pepper spray to break up crowds. In Lyon, police motorcyclists established barriers around the Presqu'île district hours before scheduled gatherings. The political climate surrounding these events is tense, occurring roughly six months before presidential elections intended to select the successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Macron is barred from running again after serving two consecutive terms. Opinion polls indicate that Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right Rassemblement National party, currently leads the field. A recent survey conducted by the polling institute Ifop, commissioned by broadcasters LCI and Sud Radio and the newspaper Le Figaro, placed Le Pen at 34 percent to 38 percent of the vote in the first round. This represents a gain of one to two percentage points compared to previous comparable scenarios. An earlier poll by Odoxa, released just before the latest riots, also showed her at 38 percent. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the head of France's left-wing party, ranks second in the Ifop survey with 15 percent to 20 percent support. He is followed closely by Socialist candidate Raphaël Glucksmann and centrist politician Édouard Philippe. In hypothetical second-round matchups, Le Pen leads in all scenarios. She would receive 56 percent of the vote against Philippe, 57 percent against Glucksmann, 59 percent against former president François Hollande, and 68 percent against Mélenchon. Frédéric Dabi, director of Ifop, stated that Le Pen appears to many French citizens as the most credible representative of public order given the recent disturbances. However, he noted that a direct causal link between the riots and her polling increase cannot be definitively proven because respondents were not specifically asked about the unrest. Le Pen has demanded stricter government action against the rioters, describing the situation as a deep crisis of trust and authority. She attributed the violence to the government of President Macron and its immigration policies. Her party, the Rassemblement National, held a weekend congress in the central city of Orléans to launch her election campaign. Thousands of demonstrators marched against both Le Pen and Macron, chanting slogans such as "Macron resign. Le Pen in prison." Critics also accused Le Pen of misusing funds for education. The protest movement shows signs of spreading beyond France's borders. Reports indicate that mass demonstrations are anticipated in Italy, where protests over the cost of living have already turned violent in certain cities. In Germany, calls have been made for protests modeled after the French actions in German cities on October 31. Roman Poseck, the interior minister of Hesse, announced that police would act decisively, citing a strengthening of left-wing extremism. Security officials emphasized that the threat level of violence remains high. Police were observed preparing riot gear in areas that suffered significant damage during the previous weekend's clashes. The closure of the Art Basel Paris exhibition, which opened to the public on Friday, was announced by organizers the following day, cancelling the entire weekend program. The Grand Palais, which hosts a major exhibition of works by French painter Paul Cézanne, is also closed. These disruptions significantly impact tourism and cultural life in the capital. The upcoming elections present a complex landscape for other political factions. While the Left Party and Socialists have identified their candidates, other political camps have not yet clarified their positions. Le Pen faces a pending legal issue regarding a conviction for the misuse of European Union funds, which was confirmed by an appeals court in July. Whether she can ultimately secure the presidency depends heavily on how the remaining candidates organize themselves in the coming weeks. For now, the focus remains on maintaining order as thousands gather in streets across France under heavy police surveillance.