French authorities are preparing for a massive police deployment and warning of crackdowns on violence as the country prepares for nationwide demonstrations on Saturday.

President Emmanuel Macron was due to hold a meeting on Friday with his defence council – made up of top ministers and officials – and was planning to meet with security forces, as cities across the country issued restrictions on gatherings and public transport. Macron, who has blamed “seditious” ultra-left groups for the unrest, was due to announce “additional decisions” following the defence council meeting, his office said.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said about 70,000 police would be deployed nationwide on Saturday, roughly 10,000 more than last weekend, with elite units, mounted police, helicopters, drones, armoured vehicles and water cannon.

“We will be uncompromising with rioters, looters and all those who commit acts of violence,” he told reporters, adding that “ultra-left” groups were urging activists online to target public buildings.

“We are not talking about a nice, friendly demonstration,” he said. “We will be extremely vigilant, extremely firm, and we will let absolutely nothing pass.” Curfews imposed in some sensitive areas this past week will remain in force.

Macron’s announcement on Thursday that only union demonstrations would be authorised at the weekend has prompted harsh criticism from student groups whose demonstrations in recent weeks against conditions in schools were joined by groups denouncing high living costs and other grievances.

More than 500,000 people gathered across France last Saturday for demonstrations that were marred by violence and looting.

Paris has extended a nighttime curfew until Monday, while France’s third-largest city, Lyon, has banned gatherings in central areas and introduced curfews and public transport restrictions for Saturday. In the coastal city of Marseille, which had also banned protests, authorities said on Friday they would allow one union-organised march on an “exceptional basis”.

In advance of the planned protests, Macron met with high school students for the first time on Friday.

Nathanael Combary, president of the campaign group High School Renewal, said Macron had been “attentive”, but that students were awaiting proposals in talks with the prime minister on Monday.

“We are not satisfied,” he said, urging pupils to “continue to mobilise”.

‘Trampling on freedoms’

Despite the restrictions, France’s national student union, UNEF, has called ⁠⁠⁠⁠for rallies on Saturday. The Yellow Vest movement, an anti-establishment force that first emerged in 2018, was planning a march through central Paris.

Police have authorised only one union demonstration along a limited route in Paris and rejected requests for rallies organised by UNEF and the Yellow Vest movement, the Reuters agency reported. UNEF said its rallies would go ahead.

In the city of Orleans south of the capital, 20,000 to 30,000 people are expected to protest against Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally as it holds its party congress there, but the prefecture said the gathering would be barred from the city centre.

Amnesty International called the restrictions “a slide toward authoritarian practice” that jeopardise the right to demonstrate peacefully, and Human Rights Watch expressed alarm over reports of children severely injured by crowd-control weapons. Marylise Leon, general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour union, said the bans were “counterproductive” given the level of anger.

“Macron is trampling upon the freedom to protest in our country, and is spitting on the values of the republic he claims to defend,” UNEF said.

Shops and businesses in major cities have been urged to close. The Louvre and the Louis Vuitton Foundation will be closed on Saturday, while the Paris edition of the Art Basel fair will end on Friday, two days ahead of schedule.

Since last Saturday’s violence, 2,700 people have been arrested, according to the Ministry of Justice.