France May Day riots – Huge parts of Paris on lockdown as unprecedented 7,400 police brace for chaos

HUGE parts of Paris are on lockdown today as an unprecedented 7,400 police officers have been drafted onto the streets.

May Day riots are expected in the French capital today, following the months of chaos caused by ‘Yellow Vest’ protesters.

The massive security presence was announced by Interior Minister Christophe Castaner who said: “There’s no question of dramatising anything, it is a question of being prepared.”

May Day is a Bank Holiday and a traditional time for Left-Wing workers to rise up against the ruling elite.

Around 5,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers have been deployed for recent Yellow Vest demonstrations that have descended into anarchy.

Today a further 2,400 were deemed necessary as the Vests were joined by trade unionists, climate change protesters and so-called Black Bloc anti-capitalists who have pledged to turn Paris into the “Riot Capital of Europe”.

‘RADICAL ACTIVISTS’

Mr Castanar said the extra officers were needed because “1,000 to 2,000 extremists” were expected to add to the disturbance.

There are 25,000 Yellow Vests expected in Paris alone, and some 100,000 more in other parts of France, Mr Castaner claims.

Many “radical activists” more are expected to come from neighbouring countries including Britain, Germany and Italy to join in the mayhem.

There are fears they will target public monuments, banks and high-end shops, as well as the threat of the fires that have become commonplace at Yellow Vest protests.

This has led to the closure of the Champs Elysee, along with Paris’s governmental and diplomatic districts.

THREAT TO PUBLIC MONUMENTS

The Ile de la Cite – the island where Notre Dame Cathedral is situated – was also on lockdown following the blaze that almost destroyed it last month.

Armoured cars and water cannons are also deployed next to historic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomhe.

The Vests – who are named after their high-visibility jackets – started as an online group calling for an end to high fuel prices last November.

They have been demonstrating in major cities in France and beyond every Saturday since, and are now calling for President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

Mr Macron went on television last week to outline a package of economic reforms worth around £4.5billion, but it has failed to pacify his critics.

As he prepares for European Parliament elections this month, the president wants to show he is capable of maintaining law and order in his own country.

May Day demonstrations were also expected today in major cities such as Bordeaux, Marseille and Toulouse.

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