France deploys 70,000 police for third protest weekend

France staged its third consecutive weekend of nationwide protests on October 31, with 70,000 police and gendarmes deployed as authorities restricted the Paris march and warned of possible disorder after dark. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the deployment matched the number used the previous Saturday. He warned of a very high risk of disorder, particularly in the evening, and said police would respond firmly to trouble. The warning and deployment plan were based on his public statements. The French Council of State upheld a restriction requiring the Paris demonstration to use outer boulevards rather than the central route organizers had sought. The authorized route ran from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton on the eastern edge of the capital. A lower Paris court had suspended the restriction before the police prefecture appealed and the Council of State overturned that decision. The measures came amid concern that Halloween masks could be used to conceal identities. Nuñez said existing law allowed police to prohibit face coverings when public order was at risk. Authorities also restricted access to Place de la République and Les Halles overnight. Unaccompanied...