France to deploy 130,000 law enforcement officers on July 14 Bastille Day

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - France will deploy around 130,000 law enforcement officers for the Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, according to an announcement made by the country's interior minister on Wednesday.

Emphasizing that the decision aims to ensure security by preventing potential riots, Gerald Darmanin reiterated that 55 law enforcement officers were injured, 807 individuals were arrested, and nearly 750 vehicles were burned during the previous July 14 celebrations.

In addition to the law enforcement officers, approximately 34,000 firefighters, helicopters, and armored vehicles will provide support, he added.

Darmanin also noted that public transportation schedules in major cities will be adjusted, and demonstrations on July 15 to commemorate Adama Traore, who died in police custody in 2016, will be prohibited.

Protests erupted in France at the end of last month when a police officer fatally shot and killed Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian descent, during a traffic check in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, reportedly after he ignored orders to stop.

Following Nahel's killing, thousands of people took to the streets in France.

Vehicles and public buildings, including town halls and schools, were set on fire, and according to Darmanin, who addressed the Senate last week, approximately 4,000 people were arrested, mostly teenagers.