France is preparing one of its largest policing operations in recent years for a day of nationwide protests on Saturday, with 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to be deployed across the country. The mobilisation, which falls on Halloween, reflects official concern that a broad protest movement could again tip into rioting and looting.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has described Saturday as carrying a very high risk of public disorder and promised an extremely firm response to any trouble. He said security forces were particularly concerned about the evening, once mainstream demonstrations have ended, after social media calls for gatherings in city streets from 8 p.m. Officials are also alert to Halloween masks being used to conceal identities, and Nunez noted that police already have powers to ban face coverings where public order is at risk.
The protests gathered pace in late September, as President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government opened talks on the 2027 budget. With public debt approaching 120 per cent of economic output and borrowing costs rising, ministers have little room to offer concessions. Students protesting over run-down schools, crowded classes and an admissions system many see as unfair have since been joined by trade unions and a revived Yellow Vest movement demanding action on living costs. Government promises to reform education and ease fuel costs have so far failed to calm the discontent.
The scale of Saturday’s deployment follows two difficult weekends. About a fortnight ago, rioting and looting caught security forces off guard and left shops, public buildings and businesses damaged in cities across France. Last Saturday, when 70,000 officers were also deployed, the Interior Ministry counted about 410,000 protesters nationwide — unions put the figure at roughly double that — and a repeat of the earlier looting was largely avoided.
The unrest is already carrying a heavy economic and political price. Data published on Friday showed the French economy shrinking in the third quarter. The Chamber of Commerce estimates losses to retailers at more than €1 billion, with other estimates roughly double that once uninsured damage and lost revenue are included. Along Paris’s main shopping streets, boarded-up windows and security grilles now sit behind early Christmas lights, after luxury outlets were among those targeted in earlier unrest.
Politically, the turmoil has benefited far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads opinion polls ahead of April’s presidential election, while potential centrist successors to Macron remain divided. The government is pressing ahead with a controversial law that would make rioters liable for up to €10,000 in damage caused by themselves or by groups they are deemed part of. Rights groups and some lawyers warn the measure risks undermining the right to peaceful protest.
The movement has also inspired protests elsewhere in Europe. More than 160,000 people are expected at youth-led demonstrations in 34 German cities on Saturday, demanding better education funding and lower living costs, while French labour leaders and students have called a nationwide strike for 5 November. The US Embassy in Paris has advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings are planned.
Sources: Reuters, “France braces for fresh unrest, government vows tough response”, 31 October 2026 (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-braces-fresh-unrest-government-vows-tough-response-2026-10-31/); Reuters, “French interior minister to deploy 70,000 police for Halloween protests”, 29 October 2026 (https://www.reuters.com/world/french-interior-minister-deploy-70000-police-halloween-protests-2026-10-29/).
