French authorities in Paris are on high alert and will be on the streets of the capital in large numbers for the first anniversary of the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) protests.
The expected show of force from the French government comes as the leaders of the Yellow Vests have called for at least 140 protests across the country to mark the year since the protests started last November, newspaper Le Parisien reports.
An internal note leaked to French media revealed that the Parisian Director of Community Security has called for a full mobilization of all police and riot units for the Saturday protests and others expected on Sunday.
The police prefecture also demanded a “100 per cent” attendance rate from all officers in the field for the protests.
Broadcaster RTL, who originally received the internal document, added that intelligence officials also believe that there is a possibility some demonstrators may attempt to engage in “urban guerrilla” actions.
Such actions have been seen in various parts of the country in recent years where police officers have been attacked by “youths” in what appeared to have been co-ordinated attacks.
Support for the Yellow Vests still remains high in France, with a recently released poll showing that 55 percent of French still backed the movement.
The early days of the protests, which were sparked by rising fuel prices, saw large-scale violence, especially from police using so-called flash-ball ammunition.
French doctors described the injuries as “unprecedented” for a social movement in January of this year, with one doctor noting: “I have been working in this sector since the 1980s and this is the first time I have seen so many serious injuries during a social movement.”
The survival of the government in the first weeks of the protest was also in question, with President Emmanuel Macron having a helicopter prepared at the Elysee Palace during the fourth week of the protests in case protesters stormed the palace.