Deploying soldiers to support police ahead of fresh protests, France will tighten security on Saturday while all demonstrations have been banned in Lyon.
The government announced the measures on Thursday after violence, damage and looting erupted in several French cities last Saturday.
Jean-Didier Berger, junior interior minister, told BFMTV that police and security capacity would be increased significantly compared with the previous weekend. Berger said the military deployment was intended to ease pressure on regular police forces.
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Elite police and gendarmerie units will be mobilised, alongside soldiers from Operation Sentinelle, France’s anti-terror patrol.
The soldiers will focus on protecting public buildings, including parliament, tourist sites and the official residence of the French prime minister.
The prefecture of the Rhône department has also banned all demonstrations in Lyon, France’s third-largest city, on Saturday. A protest ban has also been imposed in the southern city of Toulon.
Last Saturday, unrest broke out in several French cities, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille, where clashes, vandalism and looting were reported.
