31 October demonstrations: 70,000 police and gendarmes announced
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The Interior Minister presented on 29 October the measures planned for Saturday. National announcements and local instructions must be distinguished.
In this article
The 29 October announcement
According to Le Parisien and AFP, Laurent Nuñez announced the mobilisation of 70,000 police and gendarmes for 31 October. This national total concerns the security forces, not the number of demonstrators.
Why strengthen security?
The minister points to the risks linked to the mobilisation against the cost of living and to Halloween, particularly in the evening. This is an advance assessment by the authorities, not a summary of events that have already taken place on 31 October.
Understanding the prefecture
The prefecture represents the State administration at the territorial level. The prefect represents the State; the role differs from that of an elected Japanese governor. This word appears in information on the policing of demonstrations.
Before travelling
The minister set out a preference for gatherings outside city centres. Check the official local instructions for exact places and perimeters, as well as information from transport operators. A national announcement does not describe every route.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Une annonce nationale ne décrit pas chaque trajet.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
02Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon Le Parisien et l’AFP, Laurent Nuñez a annoncé la mobilisation de 70 000 policiers et gendarmes pour le 31 octobre.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
03The construction il s’agit de
il s’agit de + noun / infinitive
Il s’agit d’une évaluation préalable des autorités, pas du bilan d’événements déjà survenus le 31 octobre.Key pointsIt explains what something is about: “it is a matter of…”. The il is not a particular man but a formal subject of this construction. The negative il ne s’agit pas de means “this is not about…”.
04The passé composé for events
present of avoir + past participle
Selon Le Parisien et l’AFP, Laurent Nuñez a annoncé la mobilisation de 70 000 policiers et gendarmes pour le 31 octobre.Key pointsIt reports past events, as in “announced” or “explained”. A / ont is the auxiliary avoir and the next word is the past participle. The passé composé alone does not tell you the date of the event.
05Dates and their prepositions
le + 日付 / du … au …
Le ministre de l’Intérieur a présenté le 29 octobre les mesures prévues pour samedi.Key pointsLe 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.
06Devoir: obligation or probability
doit / doivent / devrait + infinitive
Les annonces nationales et les consignes locales doivent être distinguées.Key pointsDevoir + infinitive means “must”, but depending on context it can also mean “is expected to”. Devrait is conditional. In the news, judge from the context whether it is an obligation or a forecast.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
Le ParisienとAFPによると、ローラン・ニュネズ内相は29日、31日のデモに警察官と憲兵合わせて7万人を動員すると発表しました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Plan, outlook and policy
〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針
ハロウィーンと重なる日の予定と、地域ごとに確認する情報を整理します。Key points予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.
03Polite negation and plain form
〜ではありません / 〜ではない
これは全国の警備人数で、参加する市民の人数ではありません。Key pointsThey negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.
04Indicating the subject: について
noun + について
特に夜の集会について危険性を指摘しました。Key pointsAs in “予算について”, it shows the topic to be talked about or explained. In the form “〜についての報道”, の is added so that the group qualifies the following noun.
05Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
フランス語の préfecture は、県などの単位で国の行政を担当する機関です。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
06The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
内相は29日、土曜日の警備方針を説明しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.