[Anchor]
France is bracing for additional rallies this weekend, still reeling from the shock of massive violent protests last week. Facing public criticism for responding too leniently to the demonstrations, the French government has decided to deploy military troops and armored vehicles this weekend.
Kwon Yeongin reports from Paris.
[Reporter]
Police helicopters hover over downtown Paris, where a night curfew has been imposed.
Sweeping searchlights across various areas from the air, the scene evokes a war movie.
The city of Paris continued its nighttime curfew for a second consecutive day in the main areas where the protests occurred.
Night curfews also remained in effect in other cities, including Marseille and Lyon.
[Séu / Paris Resident: One thing is certain, and that is that this situation, which we least want, should not have a greater impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.]
The "Yellow Vests," the protest organizers who signaled "Act 2" of the demonstrations following last week, formally filed a rally notice today (October 21) to protest at the Place de la Bastille in Paris this coming Saturday.
The French government stated that it will respond strictly to radical protests and deploy military troops to the protest sites this week.
These troops, who perform counter-terrorism guard duty missions, are even planned to be mobilized with water cannons and armored vehicles.
[Nunez / French Interior Ministry Official: We will naturally deploy guard duty forces this time. We will assign them security and safety assurance missions so that police personnel can carry out other tasks.]
Regarding last weekend's protests, 800 people have been referred to prosecutors so far, with 149 remaining in custody.
Paris police have banned the possession of containers filled with oil or gas and fireworks, and prohibited the wearing of protective gear such as helmets near schools.
Economic damages resulting from last weekend's violence, including looting and arson, are estimated to reach up to 1.8 trillion KRW. Meanwhile, the French parliament has begun reviewing a government bill that would hold individuals liable for up to 10,000 euros in compensation simply for participating in violent protests.
As scars of the violence remain throughout the city and another weekend rally is announced, tension is rising again as some shops board up their windows with plywood to prepare against looting.
(Photo: Kim Si-nae | Video Editing: Park Choon-bae)
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