France Deploys 70,000 Police as Nationwide Protests Escalate

French authorities have mobilized 70,000 police officers and gendarmes ahead of renewed nationwide demonstrations, imposing restrictions on protests after widespread violence, looting and destruction during last weekend’s unrest.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

France deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country Saturday, Oct. 24, as authorities prepared for another wave of demonstrations over rising living costs, education funding and government policies following violent unrest that damaged businesses last weekend.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the nationwide security operation Friday, warning that authorities had identified online calls for further violence, looting and attacks against public buildings.

“We will be uncompromising with rioters, looters and all those who commit acts of violence,” Nuñez said, according to Deutsche Welle.

The deployment includes tactical units, riot police, armored vehicles, helicopters, drones and water cannons. French soldiers assigned to counterterrorism patrols are also helping secure prominent locations in Paris, allowing police to concentrate on demonstrations.

Authorities increased the security presence by approximately 10,000 officers compared with Oct. 17, when vandalism and looting overwhelmed police in several cities.

According to Euronews, approximately 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted during the previous weekend’s unrest, prompting shopkeepers to board up storefronts ahead of Saturday’s demonstrations.

The protests began with students demanding improvements to French public education, including additional teachers, expanded university enrollment opportunities, better facilities and increased financial assistance.

The movement subsequently expanded as labor organizations, workers and other demonstrators joined protests over wages, pensions, public services and the rising cost of living.

More than 500,000 people participated in demonstrations last weekend, according to The Associated Press, although the gatherings were overshadowed in some cities by clashes between police and groups engaged in vandalism and looting.

The French government has sought to distinguish peaceful protesters from individuals responsible for violence.

President Emmanuel Macron called Thursday for “the utmost severity” against those committing criminal acts and accused militant groups on the far left of attempting to destabilize the republic.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 217 people had received prison sentences in connection with the previous weekend’s violence, approximately half of whom were first-time offenders.

According to Agence France-Presse, Macron convened senior ministers and security officials Friday to coordinate the government’s response.

The president also met representatives of secondary school students for the first time since the demonstrations expanded nationwide.

Student leaders said Macron discussed possible changes to university admissions and education policies but had not provided sufficiently concrete commitments to address their demands.

Protest organizers consequently called for demonstrations to continue.

Student organizations have demanded a multibillion-euro investment in education, additional teachers, improved school facilities and greater access to higher education.

The government has acknowledged concerns about school conditions while maintaining that violent disruptions cannot be tolerated.

Authorities imposed restrictions on demonstrations in several major cities ahead of Saturday’s gatherings.

In Paris, police limited the permitted protest route and rejected organizers’ original plans for a march between Bastille and Nation squares, citing security concerns.

Union representatives objected to the restrictions, arguing that the alternative route could create additional logistical problems and interfere with the right to demonstrate.

According to Le Monde, the government also authorized specialized intervention units, including RAID, GIGN and BRI, to assist police if serious disturbances occur.

Additional protest restrictions were introduced in Lyon, Nice and Montpellier, while authorities in Marseille permitted a union-organized demonstration under exceptional arrangements.

The heightened security measures also disrupted cultural activities and commercial operations.

Major Paris museums, including the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, closed as a precaution, while organizers canceled weekend programming associated with the Art Basel contemporary art fair.

The demonstrations coincide with increasing political tensions ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, in which Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party is holding its national congress in Orléans this weekend, drawing additional attention from security officials.

Authorities expect counterdemonstrators to gather near the event and have restricted access to parts of the city center to reduce the possibility of clashes.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 people were initially expected to participate in demonstrations opposing National Rally, according to AFP.

The unrest presents a challenge for Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government, which faces demands for economic relief and education reforms alongside pressure to prevent another weekend of widespread destruction.

Lecornu visited Limoges after the city’s historic town hall was damaged during the previous weekend’s disturbances, pledging assistance with reconstruction and government proposals addressing education concerns.

Meanwhile, French security officials warned that online networks were encouraging groups to evade police deployments and carry out additional disruptive actions.

Police intelligence assessments cited by French media indicated that between 60,000 and 120,000 demonstrators could participate in Saturday’s Paris protests, although actual turnout remained uncertain ahead of the gatherings.

The government has pledged to permit lawful demonstrations while responding more aggressively to vandalism, looting and attacks on security personnel.

Protest organizers, however, maintain that restrictions on march routes and public gatherings risk undermining constitutionally protected freedoms.

With demonstrations expected in multiple cities, the deployment represents one of France’s largest security mobilizations of the year.

The scale of Saturday’s operation underscores the growing confrontation between protesters demanding economic and educational changes and a government seeking to restore public order following the widespread violence of Oct. 17.