France deploys armored vehicles for weekend protests as student leader vows to continue

French authorities plan to deploy 70,000 police officers this weekend, backed by armored vehicles, water cannons, helicopters and drones, as large-scale protests are expected across the country.

President Emmanuel Macron canceled an overseas trip and held his first meeting with student representatives, who said they were unsatisfied with the outcome and called on students to keep protesting.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said at a press conference on Friday (local time) that authorities would take a hard line against rioters and looters, according to Bloomberg and AFP.

Nunez made the remarks after a meeting with Macron, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and senior security officials.

He added that elite counterterrorism units would be deployed to protect public institutions such as city halls, along with helicopters, drones, about 20 armored vehicles and 15 water cannon trucks.

"There will be absolutely no compromise," Nunez said. "We will make arrests decisively and hold people legally accountable."

Macron had earlier said all demonstrations not organized by authorized trade unions would be banned.

Regional authorities also announced their own protest bans.

The southeastern city of Lyon banned all protests this weekend. In the capital Paris, marches were permitted only along a restricted route near Place de la Bastille and in the eastern part of the city.

Marseille authorities announced a blanket ban on protests on Friday, with an exception for demonstrations by authorized trade unions.

Macron met directly with student representatives on Friday for the first time since protests over poor school conditions erupted.

The student unrest has since grown into a nationwide movement against the government's lack of public-sector investment and rising prices.

Natanael Combari, president of the student group Lycee en Revolte, said Macron had been attentive during the meeting, but added that students were waiting for concrete government measures to emerge from a session with Prime Minister Lecornu on Monday.

"We are not satisfied," Combari said, urging students to continue joining the protests.

Macron postponed a planned trip to Nigeria and Senegal because of the unrest.

Shops in Paris and other cities have been boarding up entrances and windows in preparation for possible damage and looting.

Alain Di Crescenzo, president of the French Chamber of Commerce, told Europe 1 radio that merchants were arming themselves with crowbars and shotguns. "I am very worried about armed conflict. That is not what they should be doing," he said.