The French government has acknowledged that errors were made in its response to protests, announcing that the army will be deployed to assist the police as part of a large-scale security operation ahead of protests planned for the 24th of October, reports Reuters.French prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that there will be a very heavy security presence on the streets this weekend, adding that the current top priority is to restore order following the large-scale protests, rioting, and looting of shops and businesses that took place last weekend. Meanwhile, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that the army would assist the police; the government has also pledged to review its tactics, following widespread criticism that city centers had been left completely unprotected.Describing the crisis facing the country, Lecornu framed it as a choice between “violence and the Republic.” He blamed far-left forces for instigating the unrest—an accusation to which they responded by charging the government with failing to gauge the full extent of public anger. The protests shocked the nation—both due to their scale and the fact that the police were clearly unable to contain the unrest. This has heightened tensions ahead of next year’s French presidential election, in which polls suggest strong prospects for both far-right and radical-left candidates.Protests in other European countries, including Italy and Albania, have raised concerns that public anger over the rising cost of living could spread across the entire continent at a time when many nations are grappling with budgetary challenges.Lecornu acknowledged that the response of state authorities to the violent protests on the 17th of October was inadequate, pointing to intelligence failures and a police deployment strategy that was too static. Nuñez also apologized for the errors, expressing deep regret over the events.The French parliament is establishing an investigative commission to determine the causes of the unrest, and authorities have tasked 200 investigators with tracking down vandals and instigators of violence. On the 20th of October, police arrested a man suspected of setting fire to the historic town hall building in Limoges during the protests. The man had reportedly been on the radar of security services and belonged to a radical left-wing group.
France admits mistakes; army to assist police over the weekend
