France braces for 'high-risk' strike day as up to 700,000 protesters expected

Baku, November 4, AZERTACBetween 500,000 and 700,000 people are expected to join nationwide demonstrations in France on Thursday, with authorities classifying the planned mobilization as "high-risk," Anadolu Agency reported citing the broadcaster BFMTV reported Wednesday.A territorial intelligence report dated Nov. 3 warned that the protests could mark a "new threshold" in violence, particularly in city centers.The report linked the growing mobilization to repeated calls by labor unions, later joined by young people involved in recent high school protests.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez instructed regional prefects to take measures to prevent unrest and respond to potential disturbances.Security forces will be deployed in a "powerful," "responsive" and "agile" operation that will include the use of drones.Authorities have also imposed restrictions on carrying weapons, protective equipment and pyrotechnic devices.Police will conduct checks along transport routes, including at railway st