"Heavy police and gendarmerie units were deployed along Paris’s iconic Champs-Elysees on Wednesday, as authorities stepped up security ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations amid concerns over vandalism and unrest. Footage shows shop staff boarding up windows and doors with wooden and metal panels, while police vans block access to Place Charles de Gaulle as crowds begin to gather near the Arc de Triomphe. The city cancelled traditional New Year celebrations on the Champs-Elysees earlier this month, citing security concerns and a heightened terror threat. Fireworks are still expected at the Arc de Triomphe. Earlier, the National Police announced the mobilisation of 90,000 law enforcement officers nationwide, instructing them to act with 'firmness and authority'. Of those, 10,000 officers have been deployed across the French capital. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the large-scale mobilisation was aimed at preventing “traditional end-of-year urban riots”. French authorities also said more than 83,000 fireworks mortars had been seized since mid-December, as part of efforts to curb the illegal use of fireworks, which are often directed at police during New Year’s Eve disturbances. France has previously seen outbreaks of vandalism and violence during end-of-year celebrations, prompting heightened security measures in major cities, particularly in Paris."