France will deploy around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide on Saturday as authorities prepare for fresh protests over the rising cost of living, with the Louvre and several other major Paris museums set to remain closed.

The move follows last week’s violent demonstrations, during which protesters set fires, stormed public buildings, smashed shop windows and looted businesses, according to an AP report published by UNB on Saturday.

The Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums, along with the Grand Palais, will remain closed on Saturday, France’s Culture Ministry told The Associated Press.

Authorities have banned some demonstrations in cities including Lyon, Nice and Montpellier, while marches are expected in Paris, Marseille and other locations.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police and gendarmes would be supported by helicopters, armoured vehicles and water cannons. Elite police units will also help protect public buildings.

The protests are expected to draw students, members of the CGT labour union and activists from the Yellow Vest movement, which staged demonstrations against social inequality in 2018 and 2019.

Meanwhile, organisers of Art Basel Paris, a major contemporary art fair featuring 211 international galleries, cancelled its weekend programme over security concerns.

Authorities are also preparing for an anti-far-right demonstration in Orléans, where organisers expect between 20,000 and 30,000 people to attend a protest coinciding with a congress of Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, anti-immigration party.