A demonstration in Marseille has been authorised and is scheduled to begin at 14:00 on Saturday, according to Le Monde.fr, which is covering the October 24 protests live. The decision means the gathering can proceed after questions over whether it would be permitted.
Nationwide, authorities are preparing a large security operation. Laurent Nuñez announced that 70,000 police and gendarmes will be deployed across France on Saturday, BFM reported, a figure also carried by Le Figaro and L'Union. L'Union reports that the deployment includes elite units, naming the Raid and the GIGN among those involved.
Coverage of the day has also raised the question of military involvement. 20 Minutes addressed whether the government would call in the army for the October 24 demonstrations, framing it as an open question in its reporting.
The security measures extend beyond the streets. Le Figaro reports that the PSG-Lyon match, which had been due on Sunday, has been postponed.
With the Marseille march now cleared for the afternoon, attention turns to how the nationwide mobilisation unfolds and whether the scale of the police and gendarmerie deployment matches the size of the crowds that gather.
