Paris police brace for May 1 rallies
France's zero-tolerance approach to protest violence will be tested today when a heady mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and hardline hooligans are expected to hit the streets for Labour Day.
Authorities have warned that this year's May 1 marches could be tense, coming barely a week after leaders of the yellow vest anti-government movement angrily dismissed a package of tax cuts by President Emmanuel Macron.
And with trade unions hoping to raise their profile and thuggish "casseurs" vowing to turn Paris into "the capital of rioting", the government has pledged to deploy security on an "exceptional scale" throughout the capital.
Officials are bracing for a repeat of last year's May 1 violence, when they were caught off guard by some 1,200 trouble-makers who ran amok in Paris, vandalising businesses and clashing with police.
More than 7,400 police and gendarmes will be deployed across Paris on Wednesday, with orders from Macron to take an "extremely firm stance" if faced with any violence, government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the authorities had found several groups on social media urging protesters to transform the city into "the capital of rioting", with police gearing up for the arrival of up to 2,000 activists bristling for a fight.
"Based on the information we have, 1,000 to 2,000 radical activists, potentially reinforced by individuals coming from abroad, who could try to spread lawlessness and violence," he told a press conference.
Many are anti-capitalist youths, often known as "black blocs", who dress in black and wear face masks.