As protests by French high school students demanding improved educational environments spread into nationwide unrest, authorities are on high alert with another massive protest scheduled for October 31, Halloween.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters on the 29th local time that "October 31 is a day with a very high risk to public order," announcing that 70,000 police officers and gendarmes—the same scale as the rallies last weekend—will be deployed nationwide.

Special forces, armored vehicles, and water cannons will also be mobilized.

Minister Nuñez stated that posts calling for a "revolution" on the evening of the day under the pretext of Halloween celebrations have been repeatedly uploaded on social media (SNS), adding that "these rallies will be banned."

He explained that these social media posts originated from radical left-wing groups and some radicalized "Yellow Vest" movement factions, calling for gatherings on the streets of cities nationwide starting at 8:00 PM.

Reiterating that the risk of urban riots is particularly high from the evening until late at night after general protests conclude, he emphasized that authorities will respond "very firmly without allowing any deviations."

The authorities plan to permit protests but prohibit them from being held in city centers where there is a risk of unrest, while also strengthening store protection measures.

Minister Nuñez also warned extreme-right groups that appeared in about 15 cities last weekend to protect stores and clashed with protesters that they would face criminal prosecution if they took to the streets again.

In France, protests by high school students demanding better educational conditions continued for weeks before nationwide demonstrations turned into riots on October 17.

At the time, widespread looting and vandalism occurred, leading authorities to admit failure in security and intelligence responses.

On October 24, last weekend, an estimated 410,000 people nationwide and about 110,000 people in Paris alone took to the streets.

Although looting like that of October 17 was not repeated as 70,000 police and security forces were deployed, violent incidents continued in various places.

Controversy over excessive suppression is also growing.

As several teenage protesters suffered serious injuries, drawing criticism that the police response was overly aggressive, the protests are showing signs of spreading from grievances over the cost of living into a movement protesting police violence.

Youth group representatives who met with Minister Nuñez on the 29th expressed disappointment.

Attendees claimed that Minister Nuñez did not acknowledge violence directed at protesters, and the National Union of Students of France (UNEF) described the meeting as "a dialogue where we couldn't understand each other."

The "Yellow Vest" movement has announced a third protest for October 31.

They are calling for participation in rallies and sit-ins in front of the National Assembly and city halls nationwide.

Various labor union groups have announced a nationwide general strike on November 5, following this weekend.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)