France will deploy troops from its counterterrorism military forces to support police and gendarmes ahead of demonstrations expected on October 24, the government said on Tuesday, acknowledging failures in its response to last weekend's violence.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the troops would mainly serve in static security roles, allowing police and gendarmes to focus on mobile law enforcement and respond more flexibly to potential violence. He told lawmakers that the security forces deployed on October 17 had been "not mobile enough."
The government is also considering banning unauthorized demonstrations, as well as officially declared protests deemed at risk of spiraling out of control, Nunez said.
"The deployment next Saturday will be massive," Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, adding that the immediate priority was to restore order after rioting and looting swept Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities at the weekend.
Lecornu acknowledged shortcomings in the state's response at the weekend, saying there had been intelligence failures, while police deployments had been too static and authorities had erred by not cancelling planned police leave.
France saw nationwide protests on October 17, with the government estimating that around 550,000 people took part, while organizers put the figure at 800,000. Some demonstrations were marred by violent clashes. According to official figures, at least 3,000 shops were looted nationwide.
Some trade unions and student groups have set November 5 as the date for another nationwide protest. Meanwhile, some activists who took part in the October 17 demonstrations have called for further protests on October 24.
Parliament is setting up a commission of inquiry to establish the causes of the unrest, while authorities have assigned 200 investigators to identify and track down those involved in the street violence.
Police arrested on Tuesday a man suspected of starting a blaze that destroyed a historic town hall in the central city of Limoges during the rioting. Officials said he had been on a security watch list and belonged to an ultra-left group.
A night of relative calm in France followed targeted curfews imposed in several areas on Monday affected by the chaos, which the government said had helped reassert control. The localized curfews, some directed at children and teenagers under age 18, were extended to Tuesday night, police said.
(With input from agencies)