France Deploys 70,000 Officers for Halloween Protests on Saturday
French authorities are preparing for cost-of-living protests on Halloween, deploying 70,000 police and gendarmes as officials warn of possible violence after…
French authorities are preparing for Halloween protests across the country on Saturday, deploying 70,000 police and gendarmes as activists call for demonstrations over the cost of living and public services. The security operation reflects concern that violence could follow peaceful rallies, particularly in city centres.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Saturday appeared to be “a very high risk” day. He said authorities would allow peaceful demonstrations but restrict most from city centres where officials see a risk of public disorder.
The protests come after weeks of student demonstrations, some of them violent, across Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania and France. Activists in France have called on people to express anger over living costs and inadequate public services, including education and housing.
Police are preparing for the possibility of trouble on the fringes of rallies. The government’s focus is on what may happen after mainstream demonstrations officially end.
Nuñez said late on Thursday that radical groups had used social media to call for violent Halloween gatherings. He said the greatest threat to public order would probably come after the main cost-of-living protests concluded.
“We are seeing many calls from the labour movement, the radicalised far left and certain radicalised gilets jaunes [yellow vests], urging people to attend rallies on public streets starting at 8pm in many cities across France,” Nuñez said.
He said some of the messages accompanying those calls were “quite radical”, including demands for “revolution”. Nuñez said authorities would “tolerate zero excesses” and promised an “extremely firm” response.
Shop protections introduced last weekend will be reinforced, he said. The measures are intended to guard businesses against potential damage as demonstrations unfold, while restrictions on city-centre rallies give police room to manage areas considered at risk.
That could shape where people can gather and how easily businesses remain open during the protests. Peaceful marches are still expected to be authorised, but most will not be allowed in central locations where authorities fear disorder.
The preparations follow a wider pattern of demonstrations across Europe, with protesters raising concerns about household costs and public services. In Germany, a loose alliance called Gen Z regelt has called for rallies in more than 30 cities, demanding greater spending on schools, climate protection and housing, and opposing a return to mandatory military service.
German police chief Barbara Slowik Meisel said Berlin would deploy an additional 1,500 officers. She said authorities had no concrete evidence of coordinated looting plans, while an estimated 10,000 people were expected at the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon.
French officials have not offered a comparable estimate for turnout. Their stated concern is the risk of violence around the demonstrations, especially after the main rallies end and gatherings move into the evening.
Nuñez said police and gendarmes, including elite units, would be deployed nationwide. The total deployment is 70,000 officers.
