Paris soldier governor General Bruno Le Ray confirmed via public broadcaster that troops were authorized to open fire if their lives were at risk.
THE SOLDIERS ARE ON THE STREET OF PARIS
French security forces will be allowed to open fire if lives are threatened during the Yellow Vest protests to be held this weekend in Paris, according to media reports. There was widespread rioting across the French capital last Saturday, with banks, high-end shops, and restaurants looted and burnt out.
General Leray said an unspecified number of soldiers mainly used for anti-terrorism duties would be defending public buildings this Saturday.
“They are subject to the same legal framework as the internal security forces,” he added, while conceding that soldiers have ‘different ways of coping’ with trouble. Paris police said today that no Yellow Vest protests would be allowed on the Champs-Elysees today, a week after hundreds of anti-government demonstrators rioted and looted on the iconic Paris avenue.