France will deploy approximately 70,000 police officers to maintain order during protests scheduled for this Saturday, which are expected to take place across the country amid growing public dissatisfaction over the cost of living, public services and the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
The nationwide demonstrations, coinciding with Halloween, come just two weeks after riots and looting caught security forces off guard, leaving shops, public buildings and businesses damaged in several French cities.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has promised that authorities will not allow such scenes to happen again.
“Everything has been mobilised to ensure an extremely firm response to any incident,” Nuñez said during a press conference earlier this week, outlining security measures for the demonstrations, which he described as a day of “very high risk” for public disorder.
Authorities are also concerned that protesters could use Halloween masks to conceal their identities. Nuñez reminded the public that existing legislation allows police to prohibit face coverings when public order is at risk.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in France has advised travellers to avoid areas where demonstrations or large gatherings are planned.
The protests gained momentum in late September, as Macron’s minority government began discussions on the 2027 national budget.
With public debt approaching 120% of economic output and borrowing costs continuing to rise, the government is facing mounting pressure to reduce spending, while having increasingly limited room for manoeuvre.
Students’ dissatisfaction over the deteriorating condition of many schools, overcrowded classrooms and the university admissions system, widely considered unfair, has been joined by trade unions and the Yellow Vests movement, which are demanding measures to address the rising cost of living.
Protests in France have also inspired youth movements in other European countries, while demonstrations have been announced in more than 30 German cities for this Saturday.
The French government’s promises of education reforms and measures to ease fuel costs have so far failed to calm public discontent.
“When I was little, I was told that young people are the future. Well, if we, as the future of France, don’t have sufficient resources, that means France will eventually end up collapsing,” said Aaron Berthier de Grandry, a 15-year-old student from the Paris suburbs, who plans to join the protests for the third consecutive weekend.
