Thousands of French troops will be deployed to protect Jewish schools “sensitive sites” throughout the country, French authorities said Monday.
In an attempt to calm a population unsettled from last week’s terrorist attacks, France will deploy 10,000 soldiers Tuesday evening, said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves La Drian, who called the deployment “the first mobilization on this scale on our territory,” according to the New York Times.
More than 4,700 police officers will also be posted to guard France’s 700 Jewish schools and other institutions of the like, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Monday.
The announcement comes after a Sunday meeting called by French President François Hollande to deal with the fall out from last week’s terrorist attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket that left 12 and five dead, respectively.
On Monday, Prime Minister Manuel Valls discussed new legislation to enhance surveillance powers hopefully ready “in three or four months” as part of what he called “an exceptional response” to the terrorist attacks.
The announcement shows that France is getting more serious about fighting radical terrorism, as the country has already joined in on U.S.-led airstrikes in the Middle East and has roughly 3,000 troops in Africa to combat extremist groups.
Millions marched throughout France — most notably Paris – on Sunday alongside world leaders to show unity against terrorism.
Joining French President Hollande was British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
