Students demand rent freeze as 70,000 police mobilize

France has mobilized up to 70,000 police officers for a new round of demonstrations scheduled for Saturday. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the deployment, which will include support from helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. This heavy security presence follows a week of unrest that resulted in looted shops and burned vehicles.

Authorities altered the route for the main protest in Paris on Friday. The march is now restricted to the city's southeastern edge, specifically between Porte d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes. This replaces the originally planned path from Bastille to Nation. Officials expect a large crowd to gather, similar to the more than half a million people who participated in last week's demonstrations.

The current movement began last month following staff shortages at a high school southeast of Paris. It has since expanded to include demands from both students and workers. Students are calling for more teachers, improved school infrastructure, and increased university capacity. Unions are pushing for higher wages and pension reforms to help households manage rising living costs.

Student groups have proposed a joint ten-point plan to address their demands. Key provisions include creating 250,000 additional places in higher education and ending the selection process used in the Parcoursup admissions system. The plan also seeks an increase of 200 euros per month in student grants and a rent freeze for public student housing.

Businesses and cultural institutions have taken protective measures in anticipation of the unrest. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, and Grand Palais are closed for the day. Organizers of Art Basel shortened its public opening to a single day on Friday and cancelled its weekend program. Shopkeepers have been boarding up their stores all week. Contractor Akram Ahmed, 34, boarded up an optician's shop near Saint-Lazare station after receiving a call from the owner who said he was saving his life.

Local authorities have banned several other rallies, including those in Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier, while allowing marches to proceed in Paris and Marseille. Trade unions have criticized these bans as violations of the constitutional right to freedom of expression. Police in Lyon used tear gas on Saturday morning during the prohibited gathering.

Damage from the previous week of protests has led to formal investigations in some areas. Two suspects were placed under investigation and held pending trial regarding a fire that nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall in Limoges. The probe includes attempted murder of a public official. President Emmanuel Macron stated that the security measures are necessary to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings.