French minister warns of 'very high' violence risk at Halloween protests

France's interior minister warned of a "very high risk of urban violence" as authorities braced Thursday for a new wave of demonstrations this weekend.A protester holds a French flag next to burning objects amid clashes in a street near the Place de Republique during a day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in Paris. (REUTERS)The Yellow Vest movement and high school and university student unions have called for a new day of protests on Saturday.France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living and inequality, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years.The demonstrations come in an increasingly tense political climate, with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.In a directive signed on Wednesday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez instructed the Paris police chief and regional prefects to put together a "robust" security deployment for Saturday's demonstrations, which coincide with Halloween."Multiple calls have been identified on social media for gatherings in city centres and public squares across the country, under the pretext of Halloween," the minister said in the directive seen by AFP on Thursday.The analysis of those calls "leaves no doubt as to the intention of those behind them to commit further acts of violence and disorder," said the directive."As a result, from early evening until late at night, the risk of urban violence is very high," Nunez said.Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17.Although last weekend's rallies were largely peaceful, incidents of street violence still occurred in Paris and other cities.On Monday, the government announced a series of concrete measures aimed at addressing student protesters' demands, including replacing the university admissions platform and providing loans for school renovations.