France deploys 70,000 police for Halloween protests as government vows firm response to fresh unrest
France will deploy a 70,000-strong police presence for nationwide protests on Saturday, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warning of a very high risk of unrest two weeks after riots caught security forces off guard.
France will deploy a 70,000-strong police presence across the country on Saturday to contain a widely expected bout of fresh unrest, in the latest round of nationwide protests driven by anger over living costs, public services and President Emmanuel Macron's government.
The demonstrations fall on Halloween, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has described the day as carrying a very high risk of unrest. Speaking at a news conference earlier this week, he said every available officer would be on duty, telling reporters: “Everyone is on deck to ensure an extremely firm response to any trouble.”
The scale of the deployment reflects what happened two weeks ago, when riots and looting caught security forces off guard and left damaged shops, public buildings and businesses in cities across France. The government has made clear it does not intend to be caught out a second time, and Nunez has vowed that there will be no repeat of that failure.
The protests gathered pace in late September, when Macron's minority government launched talks on the 2027 budget. With public debt approaching 120 percent of economic output, the government has been pushing spending restraint, while protesters say households are already squeezed by the cost of living and that public services, including schools, are under strain.
Authorities are also alert to a particular complication on Saturday: Halloween masks. Officials have warned that rioters could use masks to conceal their identities, and Nunez noted that existing laws already allow police to ban face coverings when public order is at risk, giving officers a tool to act before trouble escalates.
The government is meanwhile pushing ahead with a controversial law that would make rioters liable to pay up to 10,000 euros (about $11,000) for damage caused either by themselves or by groups they are deemed to be part of. Supporters say it will make people think twice before joining violent crowds; critics argue it risks punishing peaceful demonstrators swept up in a group.
The economic cost of the unrest is already substantial. The Chamber of Commerce estimates that losses to retailers exceed 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion), and official data published on Friday showed the French economy already shrinking in the third quarter, before the latest round of protests.
The unrest has also spread beyond France's borders. The youth-led protests have inspired similar demonstrations across Europe, with protests planned in more than 30 German cities on Saturday, raising the prospect of a wider continental day of action rather than a purely French event.
Foreign governments have taken notice. The US Embassy has advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings are planned, a standard warning that underlines how widespread the expected protests are and how seriously officials are taking the risk of disruption in city centres.
What happens on Saturday is likely to shape the weeks ahead. A peaceful day could ease pressure on the government as budget talks continue, while a repeat of the rioting two weeks ago would deepen the political damage to Macron's minority administration and could harden both the protest movement and the government's response. Either way, the standoff over living costs, public services and the 2027 budget is far from over.
