France mobilizes 70,000 cops ahead of nationwide protests as Paris museums, businesses close for the day

French security forces have mobilized across Paris in the tens of thousands, ahead of another wave of protests that authorities fear could turn violent, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez urging police to be “hyper-reactive” against troublemakers and looters.

Soldiers from an anti-terrorism military unit are patrolling the Champs-Elysees avenue while police vans circle the Arc de Triomphe, looking to protect some of the capital’s most famous sites from any repeat of the unrest that shook France last week.

France has mobilized 70,000 police nationwide for today’s demonstrations, 10,000 more than on October 17, when a wave of vandalism and looting raised questions about the government’s ability to maintain order.

Anger over living costs and strained public services has drawn students, workers and unions onto the streets in recent weeks, but authorities say radical militants and bands of young looters have exploited the protests to sow chaos.

Speaking to police in Paris, Nunez warns officers that they would face attempts to target shops, public institutions and security forces.

“We have to be ultra, ultra responsive. We have significant calls for disruption from political groups and quite simply from criminals,” he says. “It is going to be a long day.”

Many shopkeepers in Paris have boarded up storefronts, while luxury retailers beefed up security.

Business groups have urged stores to remain closed after thousands of shops and businesses were damaged or looted across France last weekend.

Several of Paris’ best-known cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Opera House, are closed for the day to avoid being caught up in any turmoil. More than 20 metro stations are also shut.