France deploys 70,000 police as protest bans and a rerouted Paris march test Macron

France has deployed more than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country for a new round of protests against deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living, with authorities determined to prevent a repeat of the violence that erupted last weekend (Al Jazeera).

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez mobilised 70,000 police nationwide for Saturday’s demonstrations, 10,000 more than on October 17, and urged officers to be “hyper-reactive” against troublemakers and looters, telling police in Paris: “It is going to be a long day” (Reuters). Soldiers from an anti-terrorism military unit patrolled the Champs-Élysées while police vans circled the Arc de Triomphe, Reuters reported.

Authorities have taken a highly restrictive approach to Saturday’s demonstrations. President Emmanuel Macron said requests to protest from trade unions would be examined by local authorities, while demonstrations organised by other groups would be banned wherever possible. Protests were prohibited in downtown areas of Montpellier, Rouen and Nice, and in Lyon city centre, while a union-organised march in Marseille was authorised under strict conditions (Al Jazeera).

In Paris, a coalition of unions is due to lead a march from Porte d’Italie to Porte de Vincennes between 1pm and 7pm local time, after the originally negotiated central route between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation was banned. Amnesty International France condemned the bans, saying the “security escalation comes at the expense of our freedoms, seriously endangering the right to demonstrate peacefully”. In central Paris, businesses were shuttered and shop windows covered with protective panels, at least 24 metro stations were closed at the police prefecture’s request, and the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay closed for the day while Art Basel Paris cancelled its weekend programme (Al Jazeera).

Luxury stores also boarded up: staff at LVMH brands Louis Vuitton, Dior and Bulgari near Place Vendôme increased security, department store Printemps reinforced its windows and entrances, and Hermès said it had increased security measures at its French stores (Reuters). Groups including France’s main student union UNEF and the Yellow Vest movement planned to march through central Paris later on Saturday over high living costs and cuts to public services, Reuters reported.

The protests began in mid-September, when high school students blockaded schools over dilapidated buildings, teacher shortages and the Parcoursup university admissions system, before becoming a focal point for wider discontent over the cost of living. On October 17, more than half a million people took to the streets, and more than 2,000 people were taken into police custody after looting, vandalism and clashes (Al Jazeera). On Friday, Macron met representatives of the student movement for the first time since the protests began, promising more teachers and a deep overhaul of Parcoursup, but student representatives called for further mobilisation until the government presents concrete actions.

Tensions are also expected in Orléans, where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is holding its party congress on Saturday, marking the start of its presidential campaign, with authorities expecting between 20,000 and 30,000 people to join a counter-demonstration (Al Jazeera).

Sources

• Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/24/france-braces-for-another-day-of-mass-protests-as-security-on-high-alert
• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-mounts-huge-security-operation-protesters-prepare-march-2026-10-24/
• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/frances-luxury-stores-board-up-windows-ahead-fresh-protests-2026-10-24/