France prepares for day of protest a week after nationwide riots
France is preparing for a day of nationwide protests on Saturday, a week after the country saw some of its worst unrest in decades. The government has imposed sweeping restrictions on demonstrations, but hundreds of thousands of protesters are still expected to gather in Paris and elsewhere.
The story so far
- Oct 23
- Oct 24
How outlets cover it
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Open questions and key claims
The suspected attack had been 'apprehended and placed in police custody'
An individual fired shots from his vehicle at several people he encountered
70,000 police officers will be deployed to maintain security during the protests.
The president called the attack 'premeditated' and said the gunman targeted people because of the colour of their skin.
The suspect fired at a children’s playground, a fuel station and a medical centre, the Reuters news agency reported.
The suspect, Kevin T., had driven through the towns of Trappes and La Verrière in Yvelines before carrying out the attack.
The mayor said it was 'objectively a racist, probably Islamophobic attack'.
France will deploy about 70,000 police around the country on Saturday as the government seeks to prevent more civil unrest after some of the worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost-of-living protests last weekend.