France to deploy troops to reinforce police during protests planned for Saturday

The French government will reinforce police with soldiers during protests planned for Saturday and will carry out a large-scale security operation. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced this.

"The deployment of soldiers next Saturday will be large-scale," Lecornu said. According to him, restoring order after the unrest and looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities on October 17 is a priority for him.

The prime minister admitted that there were shortcomings in the state's response to the incidents that took place over the weekend. According to him, the intelligence service failed to obtain adequate information, while police forces were positioned too statically on the ground. The government also made a mistake by not cancelling planned leave for police officers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez apologized for the mistakes made. "I am very sorry for what happened. I admit that I also bear a share of the responsibility," he said.

The French parliament will set up an investigative commission to determine the causes of the unrest. The government has appointed 200 investigators who will work on identifying those involved in the street violence and establishing their trail.

On Tuesday, police arrested a man suspected of setting the fire that destroyed the historic city hall building in Limoges during the unrest. According to officials, he is a member of an ultra-left group.