Seventy thousand law enforcement officers will be deployed across France on Saturday, as the nation prepares for another weekend of potential violence. The deployment comes after a suspected terrorist attack in the city of Trappes, west of Paris, left one person dead and four others wounded.
The attack occurred on Friday and a 39-year-old man was arrested by police. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has described the motive as potentially racist, but an investigation is ongoing. The suspect is believed to have fired randomly from a vehicle, and the victims included a 12-year-old girl.
President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the attack and said that the nation is standing with the victims. He also warned that the country faces a serious threat from extremist groups, saying that "last Saturday, we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic." Macron has canceled his planned trip to Nigeria and Senegal, and has urged people to avoid demonstrations and protests.
Police have been granted the power to ban protests requested by individuals or groups with no legitimate authority, and alternative routes will be proposed to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings. Major French institutions, including the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, will be closed on Saturday, and 24 Metro stations across Paris will be closed.
The Union Nationale des Étudiants de France, or UNEF, has said its planned rallies will go on as scheduled despite police rejecting their permit requests. The "Yellow Vest" movement, an anti-establishment force, has also been denied permission to hold a demonstration.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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