France, Oct. 23 -- French authorities are under pressure to restore order after scenes of chaos during mass protests against the rising cost of living last weekend.

"We have noted numerous calls coming from the ultra-left and the radical far-left movements," Nunez told a news conference on Friday.

Damage to shops and public buildings is estimated at several hundred million euros.

Some 2,700 people have been taken into police custody in connection with the riots and looting, while 217 have been jailed in fast-track court hearings so far, the Justice Ministry said on Thursday. Security deployment

The 70,000 security personnel will include police officers and gendarmes from local forces across the country, as well as elite police units, ...