France Deploys 70,000 Police Ahead of Halloween Protest Wave
France is sending 70,000 police officers into cities nationwide as authorities prepare for a third consecutive weekend of large anti-government demonstrations on Saturday.
The protests, fueled by soaring living costs and opposition to President Emmanuel Macron’s government, have included looting and property damage, officials said, prompting the major security operation.
“Everyone is mobilized to deliver an exceptionally firm response to any disorder,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said at a news conference earlier this week.
A French gendarme stands behind a cloud of tear gas during an Oct. 24, 2026, demonstration in Nantes over the cost of living, public services and economic policy. The protest was part of nationwide rallies involving labor unions, students and former Yellow Vest demonstrators. (Guillaume Saligot/AFP via Getty Images)
With the demonstrations falling on Halloween, authorities face an added challenge: some protesters are expected to wear masks to conceal their identities.
The Interior Ministry said it has identified at least 150 planned gatherings across the country.
One planned march between Paris’ landmark Place de la République and Place de la Bastille was prohibited by France’s highest administrative court. Organizers instead redirected the event to eastern boulevards away from the capital’s main shopping districts.
France’s Chamber of Commerce estimates that looting and property destruction have cost retailers more than $1 billion. Other calculations, which also account for lost sales, suggest the overall damage could reach twice that amount.
Stores boarded up after looting on Rue Saint-Honoré in central Paris on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, including Christian Dior, Parfums de Marly and Ex Nihilo. Luxury boutiques in the capital’s shopping districts have been damaged, leading businesses to reinforce windows, doors and security. (Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Several high-end Paris retailers, including Hermès and Louis Vuitton, have been targeted. Protective wooden panels now line storefronts along some of the city’s most recognizable shopping avenues.
The government is also preparing legislation that would hold rioters responsible for property damage and impose fines of up to €10,000, or approximately $11,000.
The unrest began with young people protesting school conditions and demanding education reform. It quickly expanded into a broader movement encompassing economic concerns, higher fuel prices and rising borrowing costs.
Although the government has pledged to overhaul education and lower fuel expenses, those commitments have failed to calm demonstrators.
French gendarmes stand by during a labor union demonstration in Paris on Oct. 31, 2026. The nationwide protest, backed by the Yellow Vest movement and joined by high school and university students, focused on the cost of living and rising fuel prices. (REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)
“When I was little, I was told that young people were the future,” 15-year-old high school student Aaron Berthier de Grandry, who plans to protest over the weekend, told Reuters.
“If we, as France’s future, do not have the resources we need, then France will eventually collapse,” de Grandry said.
The U.S. Embassy in France has urged travelers to stay away from areas hosting large demonstrations.
