PARIS: French police say they are taking “extraordinary” measures with regard to the May 1st march being organized in Paris by National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, indeed they say that they are literally leaving no stones unturned along his parade route.

All paving stones located along the itinerary of the National Front march - which begins 9:30am on Wednesday at Place du Chatelet on the right bank of the Seine River, then heads west to Avenue de l’Opera and the statue of Joan of Arc, the patron saint of Le Pen’s movement - are being firmly affixed to the ground, indeed police say they are also removing any construction materials found lying about, and are also asking local construction firms to remove scaffolding that they may have erected along the route that the estimated 70,000 marchers will be taking.

Automobiles found to be parked along the streets to be taken by the marchers are also being hauled away by the dozens, so that they cannot be set afire, a frequent practice of past politically charged manifestations. But it is the smaller items, like stones and iron bars, that police say they have been given the priority of removing from the parade route.

Police say they do not want a repeat performance of all the physical damage that was wreaked upon Paris at the time, not to speak of police of the day, several of whom were injured gravely by the unusually sharp and heavy projectiles.

A large part of the problem, say police, is not National Front marchers, who tend usually to be middle class, indeed elderly and rural, but rather the young high school students who have taken to the streets of Paris on a daily basis since the first round of elections April 21st, to vent their disagreement and disgust with, indeed their spite for Le Pen and his supporters.

Police sources say that as many as 17,000 policemen should be available for the two May 1st marches, but that they are focusing their attention on Le Pen’s morning march, during which they are expecting violent attacks to be made on Le Pen himself.