France PM promises massive police deployment ahead of fresh protests after riots

Frances prime minister plans to meet unions on Wednesday to discuss security and has vowed a massive police deployment at protests following riots in the past week that led to curfews and arrestsThe eurozones secondlargest economy was rocked on the weekend by some of its worst rioting in recent years just six months before voters head to the polls to elect a successor to President Emmanuel MacronSebastien Lecornu will meet with representatives from five unions on Wednesday morning to discuss ways and means to guarantee the essential freedom to demonstrate according to a letter sent to the organisations which noted some were attempting to subvert the protests with unacceptable actsMore protests centred over rising living costs are planned on Saturday organised by the Yellow Vest movement and high school students with another called for November 5 by labour unionsSchool students have not been invited to the Wednesday meetingImages of clashes mobs looting stores and public buildings set ablaze last weekend prompted several countries including the United States China and Germany to issue travel advisories for their citizens in FranceFacing angry lawmakers in parliament Lecornu acknowledged that the security response had fallen short and promised a stronger approach ahead of the new wave of protestsThe deployment for next Saturday will be massive Lecornu saidArrests and investigationsFrench authorities announced on Monday partial curfews in Paris and other cities and Lecornu said fresh ones would be imposed on Tuesday where neededThe nighttime curfew in the capital from 2100 GMT Tuesday applied to Republique square in the centreeast and Les Halles shopping district in the centreA ban on public gatherings was also ordered for the ChampsElysees near several public buildings and at train stationsParis police ordered a temporary ban on people carrying cans or bottles of petrol or gas after mobs set fire to government buildings and shops last weekendSecurity forces arrested a man believed to be connected to the ultraleft over the burning down of a historic town hall in Limoges whose destruction has become a symbol of the violenceAuthorities have faced criticism from parties across the political spectrum with farright presidential candidate Marine Le Pen describing the unrest as a wakeup call that exposed a profound crisis of authorityRecent polling suggests Le Pen leading firstround presidential voting intentions by a wide margin and farleft candidate JeanLuc Melenchon emerging as the strongest contender for the runoffLecornu has accused ultraleft radical groups of forging an insurrectionary plan that led to the riotsIn a sign of growing political scrutiny over the street violence lawmakers from across Frances fractured parliament agreed on Tuesday to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the unrest including possible intelligence failures policing tactics and the governments preparednessInvestors have sold off French debt in recent weeks amid rising doubts about the governments ability to rein in spendingNearly 150 people had been jailed and more than 800 brought before the courts according to the justice ministerInterior Minister Laurent Nunez offered to resign on Sunday saying police had lost control during the unrest Macron rejected his resignation and Nunez was also set to attend Wednesdays meeting with union representativesOther European countries have seen demonstrations over rising prices with smaller clashes breaking out in Italys financial centre of Milan as well as in Belgium over the weekendUS President Donald Trump has seized on the unrest in France to amplify his antiimmigration and antiIslam rhetoric at a time when his Republican party is facing headwinds in upcoming midterm electionsTrump launched into a lengthy tirade at a midterms rally Monday in Kansas saying France was being conquered looted and burned to the ground by migrants jihadists and communistsSeveral analysts have countered Trumps rhetoric saying immigration was not a driving force in Frances unrestThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever