Paris, Oct. 31 -- France on Saturday heightened security ahead of a fresh round of nationwide protests coinciding with Halloween, deploying around 70,000 security personnel amid fears that demonstrators could use festive masks to conceal their identities, while a youth-led movement in Germany prepared to stage demonstrations across 34 cities over living costs, austerity and social inequality.

According to France 24, French authorities are on high alert as the protests coincide with Halloween celebrations, with concerns that masks and costumes could make it difficult to identify those involved in possible acts of violence.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned of a "very high risk" of unrest, assuring that authorities would respo...