France to Use Army Support in Protest Policing as PM Warns of Far‑Left ‘Insurrectional’ Plans
France will deploy army units to support police at protests this Saturday after recent clashes, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu citing intelligence that ultra‑left groups are planning deep unrest up to the 2027 presidential election.
French authorities plan to use army units alongside police during upcoming protests, a response to recent violent clashes that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu links to what he calls ultra-left plans for long-term unrest.
Officials say military forces will reinforce the police during demonstrations this Saturday, following confrontations between protesters and security forces over the past weekend. The Interior Ministry has announced a large-scale security operation.
Addressing the National Assembly, Lecornu said intelligence services have warned of ultra-left groups preparing “deep unrest” in France until the 2027 presidential election. He said these groups had an “insurrectional scheme” in some places during the 17 October violence.
The decision to bring in army support for public-order duties marks a toughened stance toward protest movements that the government sees as increasingly organized and confrontational.
The unrest in France has drawn international political commentary. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has said he sees a convergence of movements using the moment to sow “chaos and disorder” and advance a leftist agenda, and claimed that “France is just the first to fall.”
How visible army units are during the protests, whether the weekend passes with limited clashes or renewed violence, and how opposition parties and rights groups respond will shape the next phase of France’s internal security debate.
Sources
- OSINT