France braced for fresh unrest as 70,000 police deployed across 150 planned demonstrations – Europe live

France is bracing for a third weekend of protests, with police deploying 70,000 officers in an effort to prevent a repeat of the riots and looting that have swept the country in recent weeks.

Nationwide protests over the rising cost of living and the deteriorating education system have drawn hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets. Some demonstrations have descended into violence, with widespread looting and vandalism reported on 17 October.

Ahead of this weekend’s planned demonstrations, shops and businesses across France have boarded up their storefronts. Police have restricted access to Place de la République and Les Halles between 11pm and 6am on Saturday and Sunday and unaccompanied minors face a separate 9pm curfew around the Champs-Elysees.