France Protests Return With 70,000 Police Deployed on Halloween

PARIS, Oct 31 – France is set to dispatch 70,000 police officers on Saturday when a new round of national protests begins.

The protests in France have been driven by the rising cost of living, cuts to public services, and dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government. Saturday marks the third consecutive weekend of mass demonstrations, and it falls on Halloween.

Two weeks ago, some protests descended into riots and looting, catching security forces off guard. Shops, public buildings, and businesses were damaged in cities across the country.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has vowed that such violence will not happen again.

At a news conference this week, Laurent Nunez said all forces would be on hand to give an extremely firm response to any trouble. He said Saturday carries “a very high risk” of unrest. The number of officers matches the deployment for last weekend’s protests, which he called an exceptional measure.

Officials are also watching for one Halloween risk in particular. Rioters could use costume masks to hide their faces. Laurent Nunez noted that the law already lets police ban face coverings when public order is under threat. He also said officials had spotted calls on social media for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening under the slogan of a “revolution.”

The United States Embassy has advised travelers to avoid areas where protests or large crowds are expected.

The unrest gained momentum in late September, when President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government began negotiations over the 2027 budget. With money in short supply, the government faces difficult choices: France’s public debt is close to 120 percent of its total economic output, and borrowing costs are rising. That pressure to reduce spending leaves officials with little room to announce new funding that might ease public anger.

The movement began with students, who are frustrated by dilapidated school buildings, overcrowded classrooms, and a university admissions system many consider unfair. Trade unions have since joined the protests, as has a revived Yellow Vest movement demanding stronger action on the cost of living.

The government has promised to reform education and ease fuel costs. So far, that hasn’t calmed things down.

Aaron Berthier de Grandry is a 15-year-old high school student in Nogent-sur-Marne, a suburb of Paris. He plans to join the protests for the third weekend in a row. “When I was little, I was told young people were the future,” Aaron Berthier de Grandry said. He said that if the future of France doesn’t get the resources it needs, the country will collapse.

The anger has spread beyond France. The protests have inspired youth-led demonstrations across Europe. In Germany, rallies are planned in more than 30 cities on Saturday.

At home, the unrest has given a political boost to far-right leader Marine Le Pen. She leads opinion polls ahead of next April’s presidential election. Possible centrist successors to Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, remain divided.

The protests are also hurting an already weak economy. Data released on Friday showed the French economy shrank in the third quarter.

France’s Chamber of Commerce estimates that losses to shops have passed 1 billion euros, or about $1.1 billion. Other estimates put the total at twice that, once uninsured damage and lost sales are counted.

On the main shopping streets of Paris, early Christmas lights now glow around boarded-up windows and metal security grilles. Luxury brand stores such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry have been included in the targets of past riots.

The government is also pressing ahead with a controversial new law. It would make rioters pay up to 10,000 euros, or about $11,000, for damage caused either by themselves or by groups they’re judged to be part of.

Rights groups and some lawyers have criticized the plan. They say it risks undermining the right to protest peacefully. Some students have also accused police of using excessive force at earlier protests