France Braces for Yellow Vest Protests With Thousands of Police

Forces being deployed in key cities, anticipating violence
Protests would come soon after the Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire

French anti-riot gendarmes stand during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vests' (gilets jaunes) movement, on April 20, 2019 in Paris. (Photo by Zakaria ABDELKAFI / AFP) (Photo credit should read ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP/Getty Images)Photographer: ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP

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By Gregory Viscusi

April 19, 2019 at 11:04 AM UTC

Updated on

April 20, 2019 at 4:00 AM UTC

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The French government is mobilizing 60,000 police nationwide after this week’s fire at the Notre-Dame Cathedral doesn’t seem to have deterred “Yellow Vests” from protesting for the 23rd straight Saturday.

Several key members of the disparate and eclectic movement have posted that they intend to demonstrate Saturday, saying that contesting President Emmanuel Macron’s policies isn’t incompatible with grieving over the damage to the iconic Gothic monument. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has said there are indications that “Black Bloc” anarchists, who’ve been blamed for the worst of the violent acts in past weeks, are expected to join them.