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World

France braces for Halloween unrest as minister warns October 31 protests could turn violent

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he expects further disturbances at demonstrations planned for October 31, after 1,435 people were arrested during Saturday's nationwide protests and organised far-right gangs confronted far-left activists in several cities.

By James Calloway · · 2 min read

French authorities are bracing for more street unrest next weekend, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Monday, warning that demonstrations planned for October 31 could turn violent despite a huge security operation that helped contain nationwide protests on Saturday.

Asked by BFM TV whether he expected further disturbances during the demonstrations planned for October 31, Nunez replied: “Clearly, yes.”

“Halloween evening is traditionally always a bit lively. We expect it to be complicated again,” he added, according to Reuters.

The interior ministry deployed 70,000 police for Saturday’s demonstrations, which unions called to denounce the high cost of living and public services. The protests, which have rattled President Emmanuel Macron’s government for weeks, show little sign of easing after violence nine days ago engulfed dozens of cities, Reuters reported.

Nunez said 1,435 people were arrested nationwide during Saturday’s demonstrations. Police also recorded a new phenomenon, he said, with organised far-right gangs confronting far-left activists in several cities.

“We knew there had been calls from numerous identity-based and nationalist movements to come out, officially, to defend businesses,” Nunez said. “In a number of cities, such as Nice and Montpellier, these groups arrived in organised formations, mainly to target the ultra-left movement.”

The government sought to portray Saturday’s operation as evidence it had regained the upper hand, despite sporadic violence, especially in France’s three largest cities — Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

“The state prevailed this weekend. The state was strong,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told RTL radio. She said protesters had raised legitimate grievances that needed to be heard, but added that restoring calm was a prerequisite for meaningful negotiations.

The government was expected later on Monday to announce measures aimed at addressing student concerns over education and university admissions, after a nationwide consultation with high school and university students, Reuters reported.

On Monday, Macron made an unannounced visit to the port city of Marseille, which saw the worst of the unrest on Saturday. Business leaders said the unrest was continuing to inflict heavy economic damage despite a calmer weekend, with the head of the CCI France chambers network saying many retailers had remained closed as a precaution and sales had fallen by about 80%.

This story follows Flip News’ coverage of Saturday’s protests, which drew about 410,000 marchers nationwide according to the interior ministry.

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