France prepared on Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of protests over living costs and education, deploying 70,000 police and gendarmes and rerouting the Paris march to the capital’s edge as youth-led demonstrations spread across Europe.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned of a “very high risk” of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween. Paris police banned union and “yellow vest” marches through the city center, ordering demonstrations to follow a single route along the capital’s outer boulevards, from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton. Unions and student groups challenged the restrictions in court, but lost. President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that marches would stay out of city centres to protect shops.
Police also barred entry to Place de la Republique and Les Halles, both hit by rioting and looting on October 17, from 11 pm to 6 am Saturday and Sunday.