France Braces For Fresh Rallies After Last Week’s Violence, Deploys 70,000 Police, Shuts Museums

France will deploy 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide on Saturday as authorities tighten protest restrictions following last week’s violent unrest, which involved looting, arson, attacks on public buildings and clashes with police. More than 500,000 people participated in the October 17 demonstrations, according to official estimates, while organisers put the turnout at 800,000. Around 3,000 shops and businesses were damaged or looted.

The security operation is 10,000 personnel larger than last weekend’s deployment and will involve helicopters, armoured vehicles, water cannons, mounted police, drones and specialist units, including RAID and GIGN. Authorities have also maintained curfews in some sensitive areas and will protect public buildings, including city halls, amid warnings of online calls for violence and looting.

The demonstrations began with high school students protesting teacher shortages, inadequate facilities and underfunded schools. They have since expanded into a wider movement against rising living costs, budget cuts, low wages and concerns over public services. University admissions have also become a grievance among students.

Paris has closed major museums, including the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais, citing safety concerns. Art Basel Paris, which featured 211 international galleries at the Grand Palais, cancelled its weekend programme after opening to the public on Friday. Shopkeepers have boarded up storefronts, while business groups have urged establishments to consider closing.

Protests are planned in Paris and Marseille, while authorities have banned or restricted rallies in several cities. Police withdrew permission for a union-led march between Paris’s Bastille and Nation squares and proposed an alternative route. Unions threatened to proceed along the original route, raising fears of confrontation. Students, the CGT labour union and activists from the Yellow Vest movement are among those expected to join demonstrations.

Orléans is another major flashpoint, with around 50 organisations planning an anti-far-right rally alongside the National Rally congress led by Marine Le Pen. Authorities expect 20,000–30,000 demonstrators. The gathering comes ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 217 people had been sentenced to prison over last week’s violence, around half of them first-time offenders. President Emmanuel Macron has defended security measures as necessary to protect businesses and public buildings. However, unions and rights groups have criticised restrictions on peaceful assembly. Amnesty International warned about threats to protest rights, while Human Rights Watch raised concerns about reports of children seriously injured by crowd-control weapons.

India’s Embassy in Paris has advised Indian nationals to avoid demonstrations and crowded areas and follow French authorities’ instructions.