Sawt Falasteen - France on alert as Halloween protests raise risk of violence

The demonstrations come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.

President Emmanuel Macron this week said it was "not normal" for France to be in such a state of "turmoil" so close to a presidential election.

Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, matching the number mobilised a week ago, as authorities seek to avert a repeat of the October 17 unrest.

The sound of a helicopter and the occasional siren could be heard in eastern Paris on Saturday morning.

More than 40 metro stations were to be closed in the capital and tram services were expected to be disrupted.

An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said they expected street violence on a scale "comparable" to the unrest two weeks ago, when images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world.

The protest movement, bringing together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and high school and university students, initially focused on the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions.

Following a security clampdown and serious injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection of civil liberties and the right to protest.

Similar youth-led demonstrations have been seen across Europe in recent weeks, with marches also planned on Saturday in Germany.

- 'Halloween is not helping' -

A police source pointed to "considerable nervousness" among the authorities.

"There is no reason to think this will go smoothly," the source said.

Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's chamber of commerce, said business owners were worried.

"Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday to be over," Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter.

"The information we have is that Halloween is not helping matters, because we're going to have people wearing masks."

Ahead of the protests, some shops and other businesses across France boarded up their storefronts.

"Behind these boards, there is neither power nor an enemy. Just a family and its work," read a message scrawled in black across the plywood protecting a Paris business.

The interior minister has warned of a "very high risk of public disorder", saying demonstrations would be allowed, but not in city centres.

- 'Revolution' -

The Paris police prefecture authorised only a march on the outskirts of the capital, even though protesters had sought to rally in central Paris.

In a ruling seen by AFP, France's highest administrative court, the Conseil d'Etat, on Saturday overturned a lower court decision that had approved the route through central Paris proposed by organisers of the main demonstration.

Nunez said authorities had detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening urging protesters to spark a "revolution".

Some posts on social media called on people to dress up and gather for a "night of darkness".

Nunez warned that protesters would not be allowed to wear masks concealing their faces.

On Friday, customers crowded into a costume shop in Paris, but manager Didier Jarsale said it was not his job to "ask every customer what they intend to do with what they buy."

"We're not here to act as police officers," he said.

- Security failures -

Authorities have acknowledged security and intelligence failures that helped pave the way for the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism that erupted on October 17.

Since then, they have moved to reassert control by restricting demonstrations and imposing curfews in several cities.

A night-time curfew will be imposed in the Republique and Chatelet-Les Halles neighbourhoods of Paris from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am on Saturday and Sunday.

The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by students campaigning for better school conditions.

On top of the cost-of-living protests, the country was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded seven, including an 11-year-old girl, outside Paris. Most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.

The attack has triggered rallies against the normalisation of racist hatred.

W.AbuLaban--SF-PST