Hundreds of thousands protest across France as Paris museums close and 70,000 officers deploy

Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests across France on Saturday amid tight security and rain, while Paris stores, restaurants and cultural institutions shut for the day. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said as many as 70,000 officers would be deployed nationwide, along with helicopters, armoured vehicles and water cannons. The Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais, which is hosting a Cézanne exhibit, were closed. Authorities aimed to prevent a repeat of last week's unrest, when looting, burned-out cars and attacks on public buildings occurred and more than half a million people took to the streets. Nuñez also said officials had found numerous online calls from hard-left groups encouraging attacks on public buildings. Art Basel opened Friday for one day only, and organisers cancelled its weekend program. Paris police prefect Patrice Faure urged shopkeepers to hire security guards, then clarified that protecting businesses is the government's responsibility.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had. The Washington Post, the only left-leaning outlet here, leads with turnout, framing the day as hundreds of thousands protesting under tight security and rain. It highlights shuttered Paris businesses and the closed Louvre, and the excerpt gives no figures on police numbers or last week's violence. The alternative outlets take distinct angles. TRT World stresses the security build-up, the Nuñez deployment figures, last week's looting, the museum and Art Basel closures, and the Faure remarks. Straight Arrow News leads with the minister's claim about online calls from hard-left groups to attack public buildings, a point absent from the Post excerpt.