PARIS, October 24. /TASS /. Armored vehicles of the French Gendarmerie have appeared on the streets of Paris ahead of scheduled mass demonstrations, a TASS correspondent reported.
Several armored vehicles are stationed near the Elysee Palace, where the security perimeter has been expanded beyond its usual size. Law enforcement officers have blocked access to streets adjacent to the French leader’s residence using vans and metal barriers.
Additional armored vehicles, along with a large number of police officers and gendarmes, are deployed near the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament). Numerous police and Gendarmerie vehicles are also parked along streets near major tourist attractions, including the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and various other locations throughout the city.
A mass demonstration involving trade unions and student movements is expected in Paris on Saturday. The Paris Prefecture rejected the organizers' requested route from the Place de la Bastille to the Place de la Nation, authorizing instead a march on the city's periphery from the Porte d'Italie metro station to the Porte de Vincennes metro station. Following the riots and looting that marred demonstrations last Saturday, October 17, the French Interior Ministry pledged to significantly bolster security measures, increasing the number of police and Gendarmerie personnel deployed to maintain order from 10,000 to 70,000. Up to 500,000 people are expected to take part in protests across France on October 24.