Tensions are running high in France as the country prepares for a weekend of potential violence and unrest. A suspected terrorist attack near Paris has added to the concerns, with one person killed and four others wounded, including a 12-year-old girl.
What happened
A 39-year-old man was arrested after the attack in the city of Trappes, west of Paris. The interior minister has described the attack as a terrorist crime, with a possible racist motive. The investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has blamed ultra-left groups for the recent violence, saying their aim is to bring down the Republic. The government has deployed 70,000 law enforcement officers, along with helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons, to maintain order during the weekend protests.
Several protests are planned, despite police rejecting permit requests from some groups, including the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF) and the Yellow Vest movement. The UNEF has vowed to go ahead with its planned rallies, while the Yellow Vest movement has also said it will protest despite the lack of a permit.
Major institutions, such as the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, will be closed on Saturday, and 24 Metro stations across Paris will be shut down. A Ligue 1 soccer match has been postponed, and some events around an NFL game scheduled for Sunday have been canceled.
