Thais urged to stay clear of protest rallies across France

The Thai embassy in France has recommended Thai nationals avoid visiting Paris today as another mass protest is planned against a huge diesel tax hike.

The embassy posted a Facebook message yesterday advising Thais to steer well clear of the French capital if possible as “yellow-vest” protesters plan to rally again.

Thais already in Paris were advised to stay away from key locations where protesters will assemble, including the Avenue des Champs-Elysees.

Meanwhile, Thai nationals in other cities where protests will also occur should also avoid the rally sites, it said.

Drastic security measures will put central Paris in lockdown mode today as French authorities try to prevent another outbreak of violence during the anti-government protests.

In addition to the 8,000 police expected to be deployed in the capital, police in Paris have identified 14 high-risk areas that will be cleared.

Fearful that protesters could target street furniture or construction sites, the police will remove all glass containers, railings and building equipment set up in the identified areas, which includes the Champs-Elysees.

Across the country, some 89,000 police will be mobilised, up from 65,000 last weekend, when more than 130 people were injured and over 400 arrested in the worst street violence seen in the country for decades.

The rioting in Paris has worried tourists, prompted the cancellation of four French league football matches this weekend and damaged the local economy at the height of the holiday shopping season.

Rampaging groups last weekend threw cobblestones through Paris storefronts and looted valuables in some of the city’s richest neighbourhoods.

The Eiffel Tower, along with more than a dozen museums, two theatres and other cultural sites in Paris, will be closed today for security reasons.

The Paris Opera has also cancelled planned performances at its two Parisian sites.

Two music festivals in Paris have been postponed and the Arc de Triomphe will remain closed being after being damaged in last weekend’s protest.