France closes metro stations, tourist sites as 70,000 police prepare for mass protests

France has shut down metro stations, tourists sites and various shops in the midst of deploying 70,000 police to deal with mass protests and possible riots stemming from the planned demonstrations.

French police have seized weapons and gas masks in a sweeping crackdown ahead of anticipated nationwide demonstrations.

According to French broadcaster BFMTV, protests have been permitted by authorities in the following locations: Lille, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Grenoble, Marseille, Toulouse, Amiens, and Paris.

In Paris, authorities have evacuated Place de la Bastille, closed several metro stations, and shut down major tourist attractions. Business owners across the capital have boarded up shopfronts in preparation for the disruption.

Police were also instructed to be hyper-active against looters, rioters and groups attempting to stir disruption. The heightened security presence follows a wave of vandalism, looting and violence that roiled France during October 17-18.

The protests were organized by the Yellow Vests movement in the wake of growing public anger over high living costs, fuel prices and strained public services.

After those protests, President Emmanuel Macron had a meeting with high school unions on Friday in eleven hours to quell unrest due to planned mass demonstrations.

But the meeting failed to satisfy the unions and they urged students to continue protesting until the government presented a core solution.

Besides France, Italy is also bracing various protests nationwide. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has deployed 500 extra soldiers to Milan and toughened penalties for juvenile offenders following last week's major looting. The crackdown comes amid widespread unpopularity among young voters