The French government has deployed 100,000 troops to patrol the streets of France, amid a heightened threat of terrorism over the Christmas weekend.
91,000 police, military police, and soldiers will patrol neighbourhoods, armed with guns and grenades, just in case radical Islamists become violent.
Thelocal.fr reports: “For the end of year festivities and notably the Christmas weekend there will be 91,000 members of the security forces deployed included members of the national police, national gendarmes and soldiers,” said Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux on Friday.
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“The threat is high and our response has never been stronger,” said Le Roux on a visit to Gare de Lyon station in Paris to meet those employed to maintain security.
“I wanted to come to Gare de Lyon because this station will see a huge rise in passengers today and tomorrow,” he said.
“I wanted to show the perfect coordination between the hundreds of personnel on duty including the police, soldiers and security staff with SNCF and RATP (the Paris transport authority).
Le Roux said the security plan had not been raised in the light of the Berlin Christmas market attack, but slightly tweaked and reevaluated each day.
Following last November’s terror attack in Paris the government mobilized some 120,000 members of security forces over the Christmas period.
Many soldiers and police officers will be on duty outside churches over the weekend to reassure churchgoers.
The threat against churches is considered to be particularly high ever since the jihadist murder of a priest in northern France in the summer.
Authorities accept it is impossible to protect all of the country’s 45,000 churches but some 2,400 are placed under special protection.
Some 500 masses will take place in Paris throughout the weekend and many will do so with an armed police presence outside.
Police have been asked to contact parish priests to discuss security. They have been asked to report any suspicious behaviour and restrict access to churches over the Christmas period.
Some churches will apparently ask volunteers to act as security guards and are tasked with searching people, reporting anyone acting suspiciously as well as any cars parked near the entrance to churches.
The mayor of the town of Cannes has decided to bring in armed security guards to patrol at churches over the Christmas period.
Sean Adl-Tabatabai
Wellcome to Agenda 21