70,000 Personnel Deployed Nationwide
France deployed around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide on Saturday, October 24, 2026, to monitor demonstrations against the cost of living and public service cuts. Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez announced the deployment on Friday, October 23, reiterating that authorities would tolerate neither violence nor looting.
“We are prepared to take a very firm stance,” Nuñez told reporters. He noted that calls were circulating on social media from ultra-left groups to target public buildings, necessitating heightened security measures.
This deployment is approximately 20 percent larger than the October 17 operation, which involved around 60,000 personnel. In addition to police and gendarmes, soldiers from Operation Sentinelle assisted in guarding sensitive sites, while specialized units, helicopters, water cannons, and Centaur armored vehicles were placed on standby.
Paris Route Contested as Unions Insist on Bastille
In Paris, marches were scheduled to cross the city center on Saturday afternoon. Police designated a route from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes, authorized between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with departure announced for 2:00 p.m.
A coalition of trade unions rejected the route set by police and continued to insist on the Bastille route as originally planned. The Bastille-Nation route, which had briefly been reported as agreed upon on October 22, was subsequently prohibited by decree on October 23, leaving the route dispute unsettled heading into the day of the march.
President Emmanuel Macron previously stated that only union-organized demonstrations would be approved by local authorities this weekend. Macron also convened a defense council meeting and met with student representatives, though student delegates declared the protest action would proceed.
Background: October 17 Action Ended in Riots and Looting
This wave of protests began with secondary school students protesting conditions in schools, teacher shortages, and inadequate facilities. The movement then broadened into protests over the cost of living, fuel prices, and strain on public services, backed by labor unions and the Yellow Vests movement that emerged in 2018.
On October 17, the Ministry of the Interior recorded around 550,000 participants across more than 100 marches nationwide, including approximately 110,000 people in Paris, while organizers claimed figures approaching 800,000. Most of the rallies were peaceful during the day, but masked groups caused disruptions at night.
The unrest resulted in around 3,000 shops damaged or looted and 2,700 people arrested, according to a Bloomberg report. The government subsequently imposed curfews across several areas of Paris and other cities in the days that followed.
Louvre Closes, Luxury Stores Boarded Up, Matches Postponed
The impact of the security operation was felt across the cultural and sports sectors. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée Picasso, and Grand Palais closed on Saturday, while Art Basel Paris cancelled its weekend programming. An NFL pop-up store on Rue Saint-Merri was also shut on Saturday, and a Steelers fan event in the Bastille area was cancelled.
In upscale districts of Paris, staff at Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Bulgari boutiques near Place Vendôme bolstered security and boarded up storefront windows. Printemps department store added security guards and reinforced its windows and entryways.
On the football pitch, the match between PSG and Lyon was moved from Sunday, October 25, to Monday, October 26, at 8:30 p.m. at the request of the Paris Police Prefecture. The Toulouse vs. Troyes fixture was shifted from Saturday to Sunday, and two Ligue 2 matches in Saint-Étienne and Montpellier were rescheduled to Saturday evening. Meanwhile, the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France on Sunday remained on schedule.
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