30,000 civil servants to prevent riots during election in France
France deploys 30,000 police officers on Sunday to prevent disturbances following the decisive round of the parliamentary election. 5,000 officers will be stationed in Paris and its suburbs alone, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2. "This is a very large police deployment to prevent the Far-Left or the Far-Right from profiting from the result and causing chaos that could lead to further unrest", the Minister said.
Darmanin had already warned of unrest before the first round of voting over the weekend. Thousands protested in Paris and other major cities against the extreme right. There were clashes between demonstrators and police in France's third-largest city, Lyon.
For this Sunday evening, an antifascist group called for a protest in front of the parliament in Paris. "Regardless of the result, we must form a front against the extreme right and their allies more than ever", the call from Action Antifasciste Paris-Banlieue read. Without a mobilization on the streets, the left-wing alliance formed for the election will not make progress.
Civil servants in France were put on standby as a precautionary measure, anticipating potential issues after the parliamentary election results. Despite the large deployment of 30,000 police officers, including 5,000 in Paris and its suburbs, there were rumors of a planned protest against the extreme right by an antifascist group, potentially leading to further clashes and riots.
