A protester in a white Guy Fawkes mask and a black hooded jacket stands with one arm stretched out to the side. Behind them, flames rise from a burning object in the street, and thick black smoke fills the air in front of a stone building.
Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published October 31, 2026
French authorities are deploying about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide today, as the government warns that protests and Halloween gatherings could turn violent after dark.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said October 31 presents a “very high risk of public disorder.” In a letter to prefects on Oct. 29, he said the risk of urban violence would be very high from early evening until late at night. The deployment matches the volume used a week earlier.
Authorities say they have detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening that urge a “revolution.” Nuñez said some of the messages call for insurrection and incite serious disorder, looting and vandalism. He attributed the messages to the “ultra-left” and some yellow vest activists, and warned against using Halloween masks to hide one’s face and cause disturbances.
Restrictions
Demonstrations will be allowed but not in city centres. Nuñez said the unauthorized gatherings will be banned and that police will intervene against them. An aide to the minister said incidents comparable to those of October 17 are expected throughout the day and after nightfall.
Background
The Oct. 17 demonstrations led to large-scale looting, fires and damage to public property. Le Monde reported that 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured that day, seven of them seriously.
The Yellow Vests, the CGT union and high school students are planning a third day of protests today, after Paris police rejected their proposed route. Organizers have also called a nationwide strike for Nov. 5.
The unrest comes with presidential elections six months away. The police response has been criticized as heavy-handed, and some attendees at a Thursday meeting accused Nuñez of refusing to acknowledge violence against protesters. Former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has urged President Emmanuel Macron to declare a state of emergency.
