French authorities are preparing for renewed street unrest ahead of the upcoming weekend, warning that demonstrations planned for Halloween could lead to further disturbances. The caution follows nationwide protests on Saturday that drew a massive law enforcement response aimed at containing civil unrest that has challenged President Emmanuel Macron’s administration for weeks.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated on Monday that the government expects additional protests despite the deployment of 70,000 police officers across the country for Saturday’s demonstrations. The protests, initially sparked by student discontent over education and university admissions, have expanded to include trade unions and ‘yellow vest’ activists protesting the rising cost of living, public services, and high fuel prices.
Asked by BFM TV on Monday whether he anticipates further disturbances during planned demonstrations on October 31, Nunez replied, ‘Clearly, yes.’ He added that Halloween evening is traditionally lively and that authorities expect the situation to be complicated once again.
During Saturday’s operations, police arrested 1,435 people nationwide. Nunez also noted the emergence of a new dynamic during the weekend demonstrations, pointing to organized far-right and nationalist gangs confronting far-left activists in multiple cities. He stated that identity-based and nationalist movements had called for supporters to come out officially to defend businesses, but instead arrived in organized formations in cities such as Nice and Montpellier primarily to target the ultra-left movement.
Government officials attempted to portray the weekend security operation as evidence that the state had regained control, notwithstanding sporadic violence recorded in France’s three largest cities: Paris, Marseille, and Lyon. Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told RTL radio that the state prevailed and demonstrated strength over the weekend.
Bregeon acknowledged that protesters have raised legitimate grievances that require attention, but emphasized that restoring public order remains a necessary prerequisite for constructive discussions. She stated that meaningful social dialogue cannot occur in the violent climate experienced a week prior.
The government planned to announce new measures on Monday designed to address student concerns regarding education and university admissions following a nationwide consultation process. President Macron faces limited fiscal flexibility to resolve the crisis through expensive concessions due to severe strain on public finances and an expiring presidential mandate in April. On Monday, Macron made an unannounced visit to Marseille, a port city that experienced some of the most intense unrest during Saturday’s demonstrations.
Meanwhile, business leaders reported that the ongoing civil unrest continues to cause significant financial harm despite a comparatively calmer weekend. Alain Di Crescenzo, head of the CCI France network of chambers of commerce and industry, told Radio Classique that numerous retailers kept their doors closed as a precautionary measure following the violence of October 17, resulting in sales drops of approximately 80 percent. He warned that exhausted and demoralized shopkeepers are facing severe commercial damage.
