Heavy security deployment on French National Day after the recent riots

The French government has deployed significant security reinforcements in an attempt to contain the incidents that typically accompany the celebrations of Bastille Day on July 14th. Approximately 130,000 police officers, gendarmes, special units, and armored vehicles have been mobilized.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has resorted to the same security deployment that was used during the riots that swept across France following the killing of a seventeen-year-old by a police officer during a traffic stop in Nanterre near Paris on June 27th last year.

The French minister announced that an "exceptional deployment" would include 45,000 police officers and gendarmes, to be implemented each evening from Thursday until Saturday morning.

The minister explained that, for the first time during the national holiday, special police and gendarmerie forces, as well as helicopters and armored vehicles, would be deployed in sensitive cities.

In Paris alone, the police commander, Laurent Nunez, stated that "nearly" 10,000 security forces would be present on the ground in the capital and its surrounding areas.

Approximately 40,000 members of firefighting teams will be on standby each evening to extinguish fires set in waste bins and other incidents involving car and building fires.

From Vilnius, Lithuania, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to take "the strictest possible action" in the event of any incidents.

During a press conference at the conclusion of the NATO summit, he emphasized, "In the event of excesses, we will intervene firmly to ensure that all our citizens can live in peace."

Enhanced surveillance will be implemented, especially in Paris and its suburbs, as well as in the north and the Lyon region in the center-east of the country, according to a security source.

Throughout the country, bus and tram services will end earlier in the evening, except in a few exceptional cases.

Several towns and cities have decided to cancel fireworks displays due to recent acts of violence in the country.

The traditional military parade will take place on Friday morning on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be an honored guest as a special partner of France.

Fireworks will be launched from the Eiffel Tower in the capital in the evening, as is customary. A symphonic music concert will also be held in the Champ de Mars park, performed by the French National Orchestra and centered around the theme of fraternity.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo stated to Agence France-Presse, "We are in dire need of events that bring families and friends together. This is the image that France wants to project to the world, one year before the Olympic Games in Paris."

Authorities have confirmed their intention to enforce the decree that prohibits the purchase of fireworks until Saturday, as these are often used by troublemakers against law enforcement or for arson.

However, fireworks manufacturers doubt the effectiveness of this ban, considering that it fuels a "real black market," particularly through social media networks such as Snapchat and Telegram.

To ensure peace, the Minister of Interior announced on Wednesday that a demonstration protesting police violence scheduled for Saturday in Paris would be banned, as well as any other events directly linked to acts of rioting.

In 2002, a total of 807 individuals were arrested in France during incidents that occurred during the Bastille Day celebrations. 749 cars were set on fire, and 55 members of the security forces were injured, according to the Interior Minister.

 

AFP