Why so many heavily armed military on streets of Paris?

It's the plan vigipirate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigipirate

Are you sure you didn't go to Paris, Texas by mistake.

Tangi gave you the correct answer.. I'm French me too...

Because the French like to have about six different law enforcement bodies on the streets at the same time. Two to watch the public, and four to watch the others.

There are armed members of the Legion D' Etranger just about everywhere, but do not confuse that lot with the parachute battalion of the same regiment, these are the bargain basement troops of the French Army and are exiled Moldovan bouncers etc. They are equipped with rifles dug up at Verdun. However, the French government has never forgotten that the Foreign Legion looked like performing a coup in Paris in 1969, and they always keep a lot of different armed units about to shoot at each other if anybody tries it again.

Many want the US to look like that but one big difference, not the police but local chuckleheads walking around the streets armed to the max

There have been protests nonstop for 4 weeks now; on and off since last November.

Heard of the Yellow Vest movement? It is a movement protesting high cost of living and high taxes, and participants span the entire political spectrum from Left to Right. Largely middle class. Most protesters of course are peaceful, but there are those who take advantage of the situation to cause chaos.

Not to mention the fact that vandalism and crime had been epidemic for years, with cars being burned on the streets every single night.

If I were you, I'd check the news before going anywhere in Paris, just so you know where the action is and whether it is violent that day.

Paris has always used the military/cop. We lived in Paris for a year and they would set up a road block behind a hill and stop all the traffic and check ID. Back then 1 of the cops would carry the automatic rifle, everyone else had a sidearm. It has gotten a lot worse since then. Being American, we were considered like roaches and could show up just anywhere at anytime, so we never had a problem.

they might be there to protect people

How is that different from an US airport?

This is what happens when you let millions of muslim "refugees" (a.k.a. invaders) into your country through an open borders policy and they have no interest in assimilating into French culture. Instead they desire to have YOU subjugated to their third-world culture.

Why do you ask, racist?