On a Friday in late October, France found itself holding its breath for the day ahead, as a nation still shaken by the riots of 17 October prepared for another round of protests under the watch of more than 70,000 police. The unrest had exposed how thin the line between public anger and public order can become, and the state's answer has been swift courts, sweeping bans, and a sharper tone from those in charge. Beneath the immediate tension lies a wearier question about who France is willing to trust with its future, as living costs weigh on people and an election season that will shape the co
France Deploys 70,000 Police as Nationwide Protests Follow Week of Riots
At least 232 people have been imprisoned for their role in the 17 October riots, with more than 1,100 appearing in court; shops were looted and buildings torched.
A patchwork of bans, and organisers largely undeterred
Mark
Seventy thousand officers is a huge number. What is it meant to prevent?
Mimi
A repeat of 17 October, when police were vastly outnumbered and shops were looted. The government was accused of not seeing it coming, so this is partly a response to that.
Mark
Yet the rules differ from city to city.
Mimi
Yes. Lyon, Nice and Montpellier banned gatherings outright. Marseille banned them, then reversed to allow a union march. Paris restricted a route away from the centre.
Luke
Worth saying that the 70,000 figure is the ministry's own announcement. We don't know how they'll be spread across the country.
Mark
And the crowd estimates?
Mimi
Hundreds of thousands are expected, and the gilets jaunes website lists more than 500 demonstrations.
Luke
Both are expectations and organisers' listings, not counts. Actual turnout is unknown until it happens.
Mark
What about the courts?
Mimi
232 imprisoned, over 1,100 appeared, about 260 cases involving organised gang charges. Darmanin also wants bans on voting and social media for those convicted.
Luke
Nuñez attributes the calls for violence to the far left, but the reporting gives no evidence behind that. It's his claim, and it isn't independently confirmed here.
Mark
Why does the election matter here?
Mimi
Macron's camp could miss the May run-off, and both the National Rally and Mélenchon are blaming him, so each protest is also political positioning.
Il Polso
- Over 70,000 police are being deployed as hundreds of thousands prepare to march despite sweeping protest bans.
- Hundreds have been jailed after fast-track hearings, and more than 1,100 have faced court since the 17 October riots.
- Cities are split on how to respond: Lyon, Nice and Montpellier have barred gatherings, while Marseille reversed its ban to allow a union march.
- Museums are closing, a football match has been moved, and shops are boarded up as the capital braces for possible looting.
- A revived gilets jaunes movement and hundreds of planned demonstrations are calling for Macron's resignation, with the political stakes rising toward the May election.
On a Friday in late October, France found itself holding its breath for the day ahead, as a nation still shaken by the riots of 17 October prepared for another round of protests under the watch of more than 70,000 police. The unrest had exposed how thin the line between public anger and public order can become, and the state's answer has been swift courts, sweeping bans, and a sharper tone from those in charge. Beneath the immediate tension lies a wearier question about who France is willing to trust with its future, as living costs weigh on people and an election season that will shape the country's direction draws close.
France spent Friday preparing for Saturday. The interior ministry announced it would deploy more than 70,000 officers, a week after the country's worst unrest in decades, when shops were looted and buildings torched, including the historic town hall in Limoges. Opposition parties say the government failed to see the scale of what was coming, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has promised that this time nothing will go unchallenged.
The courts have moved quickly. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin reported that 232 people have been imprisoned and more than 1,100 have appeared before judges, many facing organised-gang charges. Prosecutors have been told to seek penalties that could include bans from demonstrations, loss of voting rights and exclusion from social media.
The rules for Saturday vary from city to city. Macron has allowed only union-organised demonstrations to proceed. Lyon, Nice and Montpellier have imposed blanket bans, and Marseille reversed its own ban to let a union march go ahead. In Paris, the student-led march has been told to avoid the centre, and parts of the capital have had partial curfews.
Still, organisers are not backing down. Hundreds of demonstrations are planned, and the Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums will close. A revived gilets jaunes movement, which has drawn support from both left and right, has listed hundreds of actions and demands Macron's resignation. Behind it all is a public weary of rising prices and the prospect of harsh spending cuts, with an election in spring that could pit the hard right against the radical left.
France spent Friday bracing for Saturday. The interior ministry announced it would put more than 70,000 police officers on the streets, a week after the country saw some of its worst unrest in decades, and amid fears that demonstrators will ignore the restrictions placed on protest.
The unrest of 17 October left police vastly outnumbered by protesters and rioters. Shops were looted and buildings torched, the best-known case being the ornate 19th-century town hall in Limoges. Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to foresee the scale of what happened. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has promised a harder line this time: "We will not let anything go unchallenged," he said, adding that the authorities would be uncompromising with vandals, looters and anyone committing violence. He said social media had carried numerous calls for violence, which he attributed to the "far left and radical extreme left", separate from the planned marches.
The courts have been moving quickly. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Friday that 232 people have been imprisoned for their part in the 17 October riots and that more than 1,100 have appeared in court. About 260 of those cases involve charges of organised gang activity. Darmanin has told prosecutors to seek punitive measures against anyone convicted of looting or attacking police, including bans from demonstrations, loss of voting rights and exclusion from social media.
The rules for Saturday are a patchwork. President Emmanuel Macron decreed that only demonstrations organised by recognised trade unions may go ahead. Lyon, Nice and Montpellier have gone further with blanket bans on gatherings. Marseille first barred all protests, then swiftly reversed the order so a union-organised march could proceed. In Paris, a march organised by the student union and backed by labour groups has been told to avoid the city centre. Parts of the capital have lived under partial curfews this week.
Organisers appear largely undeterred. Hundreds of large and small demonstrations are planned, and hundreds of thousands of people are expected in Paris and elsewhere. Preparations are visible in the capital's best-known districts: the Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums will close on Saturday, a PSG home match has been moved to Monday, and some businesses have boarded up their windows against looting.
On Friday Macron met high-school student representatives. They said he had made clear commitments to them, but also that students should continue to mobilise.
The movement that began with students has widened into a broader anti-government outpouring. A revived gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement, which staged huge disruptive demonstrations in Macron's first term and has drawn support from both left and right, could be out in force. A website linked to the group lists more than 500 planned demonstrations and some 200 other actions, and demands that Macron resign. Its call to action says it refuses to add its voice to the "chorus of outrage" over the 17 October violence, and accuses police of attacking protesters.
The backdrop is a public weary of rising living costs and warnings that any future government will probably need deep spending cuts to manage spiralling debt. Macron leaves office next spring, and polls suggest a candidate from his centrist movement could miss the May run-off. That could leave voters choosing between the hard-right National Rally and the radical-left La France Insoumise. Both have blamed Macron and his ministers for the disorder. La France Insoumise leader and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has criticised what he calls heavy-handed policing and accused Macron of "destroying the republican state" with the restrictions. He urged supporters to join Saturday's protests, as he did last week before condemning the rioting that followed.
One place to watch is Orléans, about 120 km (75 miles) south of Paris, where the National Rally is holding a two-day conference on Saturday that could prove a flashpoint.
Citazioni salienti
We will not let anything go unchallenged.— Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez
Mélenchon accused Macron of 'destroying the republican state' by imposing restrictions.— Jean-Luc Mélenchon, La France Insoumise
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