France is deploying 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country as authorities brace for another weekend of protests and possible violence over rising living costs, deteriorating public services and growing dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron's government.
The nationwide demonstrations, scheduled for Saturday, coincide with Halloween and come amid fears of renewed rioting after two consecutive weekends of unrest left shops, businesses and public buildings damaged in cities across the country.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has warned that the demonstrations carry a high risk of violence, particularly after dark, and pledged a forceful response to anyone involved in disorder.
"Everyone is on deck to ensure an extremely firm response to any trouble," Nunez said earlier this week, describing the situation as carrying "a very high risk" of unrest.
Authorities are also concerned that protesters could exploit Halloween masks to conceal their identities. Nunez said existing legislation allows police to prohibit face coverings when there is a threat to public order.
The U.S. Embassy in France has advised American travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are expected.
In Paris, authorities have imposed additional restrictions in an effort to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 17 violence, when rioters looted hundreds of shops and security forces struggled to contain the disorder.
Police have restricted union and Yellow Vest demonstrations to a route along the capital's outer boulevards, running from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton, keeping marches away from the city center and major shopping districts.
Unions and student organizations have challenged the restrictions in court, arguing against the limitations on their right to demonstrate. Macron said Monday that marches would be kept away from central shopping areas to protect businesses.
Police have also prohibited access to Place de la Republique and Les Halles, two locations affected by the previous unrest, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
A separate 9 p.m. curfew applies to unaccompanied minors around the Champs-Elysees. However, a Paris court suspended an earlier curfew imposed on minors, ruling that it seriously and unlawfully infringed on freedom of movement.
The protests began in late September, initially driven by high school students angered by deteriorating school facilities, overcrowded classrooms and an admissions system they consider unfair. The movement has since expanded into a broader campaign against the rising cost of living, inadequate public services and government policies.
Trade unions and supporters of the resurgent Yellow Vest movement have joined the demonstrations, adding pressure on Macron's minority government as it negotiates the 2027 budget.
With public debt approaching 120% of economic output and borrowing costs rising, the government faces mounting pressure to reduce spending, leaving limited room to accommodate demands for greater investment in education and financial relief for households.
Authorities counted approximately 550,000 demonstrators nationwide on Oct. 17, when widespread looting accompanied the protests. Attendance fell to about 410,000 the following Saturday, when demonstrations were largely peaceful, although police made more than 1,300 arrests.
Government promises to improve education and ease fuel costs have done little to contain public anger.
"When I was little, I was told young people were the future," said Aaron Berthier de Grandry, a 15-year-old high school student from Nogent-sur-Marne, outside Paris, who planned to attend his third consecutive weekend of demonstrations.
"Well, if we, as the future of France, lack resources, that means France will end up collapsing."
The French protests have inspired youth-led demonstrations elsewhere in Europe, with rallies planned in more than 30 German cities on Saturday.
A youth initiative called Gen Z regelt, roughly translated as "Gen Z's got this," has called for demonstrations in Germany to demand improvements in education and health care, climate protection and more affordable living conditions, while opposing any return of compulsory military service.
Organizers said more than 140,000 people had registered their support online. Berlin police expected approximately 10,000 demonstrators to gather near the Brandenburg Gate.
Some businesses along Berlin's Kurfuerstendamm shopping boulevard have boarded up their windows in anticipation of possible unrest, although authorities said they had no specific information indicating planned violence.
In Spain, Catalan police prepared their highest level of alert in Barcelona after an anonymous network on TikTok known as Blocus called for further gatherings. Clashes during demonstrations the previous Saturday resulted in approximately 130 arrests, most involving minors.
Italian police also remained on alert following confrontations in Milan, Turin and Bologna, while calls for demonstrations circulated on social media in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal.
The growing unrest comes as France faces mounting economic and political pressure. Figures released Friday showed the economy contracted in the third quarter, adding to concerns over the impact of prolonged instability.
The Chamber of Commerce estimates that retailers have suffered more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in losses. Other estimates put the overall economic damage at twice that amount when uninsured property damage and lost business revenue are included.
In Paris, the approaching Christmas shopping season has brought an unusual contrast to the capital's main commercial avenues, where festive lights illuminate streets lined with boarded-up windows and security grilles.
Luxury retailers, including Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Burberry, were among the businesses targeted during previous outbreaks of violence.
The government is also pursuing legislation that would make rioters financially responsible for damage caused either individually or by groups they are considered to belong to, with penalties reaching 10,000 euros.
