French riot police with shields on a Paris street (illustrative)

France puts 70,000 police on the streets as a second weekend of mass protests begins; first clashes reported in Lyon

October 24, 2026 3 Min Read

Illustrative image: French riot police on a Paris street. Photo: Pierre-Louis Mièze / Unsplash (Unsplash License). It was not taken on October 24, 2026.

France deployed more than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on Saturday, October 24, as students, trade unions and remnants of the Yellow Vest movement returned to the streets for a second consecutive weekend of nationwide protests. Within hours, security forces fired tear gas in Lyon at about 150 people trying to block traffic in an area where gatherings had been banned, Infobae reported.

Why people are protesting

The movement began in mid-September, when high school students blockaded their schools over run-down buildings, teacher shortages and what they call an unfair university admissions system, known as Parcoursup. It has since widened into broader discontent over the cost of living, inequality and the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, according to Al Jazeera.

Last Saturday, October 17, more than half a million people marched. Those protests, largely peaceful at first, were marred by looting, vandalism and clashes: thousands of businesses were damaged or ransacked and more than 2,000 people were taken into police custody, according to official figures cited by Al Jazeera. Authorities have blamed far-left groups and “opportunistic criminals” for the violence, Infobae reported.

Bans, closures and a heavier security presence

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said this weekend’s deployment is 20% larger than last week’s, and that the elite RAID unit will support operations without taking part in crowd control. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the threat of unrest remained high and that the security plan would be adapted as needed, Infobae reported.

Macron said marches called by unions would be examined by local authorities, while other groups’ demonstrations would be banned wherever possible. Protests were banned in the centres of Montpellier, Rouen, Nice and Lyon. In Marseille, a union march was allowed under strict conditions. In Paris, the planned route from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation was banned; the union march was moved to run from Porte d’Italie to Porte de Vincennes between 13:00 and 19:00.

At least 24 Paris metro stations were closed at police request. The Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay shut for the day, and Art Basel Paris cancelled its weekend programme. Amnesty International France said the “security escalation comes at the expense of our freedoms.”

Talks with students and the 2027 race

Macron met representatives of the student movement on Friday for the first time since the protests began, promising more teachers and a deep overhaul of Parcoursup. Student leaders said they would keep mobilising until they see concrete action. The Yellow Vests have already called another protest for October 31, including sit-ins outside parliament and town halls, Infobae reported.

The unrest also has an electoral dimension. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is holding its party congress in Orléans on Saturday to launch its campaign for the 2027 presidential election, which polls show her leading by a wide margin. Authorities expect a counter-demonstration of 20,000 to 30,000 people there, according to Al Jazeera; EFE put the expected turnout at 10,000 to 20,000. Macron cannot run for a third consecutive term.

Pending: turnout and arrest figures for Saturday, and whether the day stays peaceful outside Lyon.

Sources

Kcenia Sarapova · Europe, Asia & Middle East · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 24, 2026 · AI-assisted writing