France on edge: Thousands on streets as weekend of protests begin; 70k cops deployed

France is witnessing widespread protests over rising living costs, wages and education funding, prompting authorities to tighten security amid fears of renewed violence France mobilised a massive security force on Saturday as protests over school funding, wages and soaring living costs spread across the country, a week after violent unrest left shops looted, cars burned and public buildings damaged.Authorities restricted a major march in Paris to the city’s southeastern edge, closed prominent museums and banned demonstrations in several cities to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violence.Up to 70,000 police officers deployedBefore the protests began, interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had said that up to 70,000 officers would be deployed nationwide, supported by helicopters, armoured vehicles and water cannons. Security was tightened in Paris and other major cities after more than half a million people took to the streets the previous Saturday.These massive security arrangements came in the backdrop of last weekend when around 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during last weekend’s unrest. Nuñez acknowledged on Monday that police had lost control in some cities during...