The French government is pairing a larger police presence with military protection for key sites ahead of Oct. 24 rallies, seeking to limit disruption as renewed unrest raises concern about public finances.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Oct. 23 that the operation would involve about 70,000 security personnel. The Interior Ministry said police staffing would be one-fifth higher than on Oct. 17. Soldiers will guard sensitive buildings, a role assigned to Sentinelle troops in an earlier report on the security plan. Specialist intervention teams could be used if needed, with helicopters, water cannons and armored Centaurs also available.
Unsa Police national secretary Thierry Clair told Bloomberg that at least 75% of the police force would be mobilized, with many officers postponing days off. Demonstrations are planned across France on Saturday, Oct. 24, Bloomberg reported.
The rallies form a second phase of a movement seeking better public services and help with living costs. Bloomberg reported that the movement is backed by students, left-wing parties, unions and social media figures. The previous weekend’s unrest left 3,000 stores looted and 2,700 people arrested, the outlet reported.
President Emmanuel Macron said Oct. 22 that local officials would authorize demonstrations this weekend only if labor unions organized them. Manon Aubry, a France Unbowed lawmaker, called the restriction “a historic attack on the right to protest.”
Carrefour warned that the unrest could lower its 2026 earnings. Bloomberg reported that shops in Paris, including luxury boutiques, were covering windows and adding security, and that some planned to close. The outlet also reported that the gap between French and German government bond yields had widened to levels linked to the euro-area debt crisis as France worked to cut its budget deficit ahead of elections in six months.
Police authorized the Paris march, with a route from Bastille to Nation. In Orleans, left-wing parties plan a counter-protest during the National Rally congress. Both events are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24.
