A Singaporean traveler identified by CNA as Rachel hopes to keep her Oct. 28-Nov. 4 Paris visit, as RATP, the city’s public transport operator, schedules metro closures for demonstrations on Oct. 24.
Rachel, 29, told CNA she and her mother have a birthday trip to Paris booked. She said safety worries and possible transit problems concerned her, but canceling was a last resort. “I don't really want to cancel,” she said.
CNA interviewed Singaporeans who were in Paris during the Oct. 17 unrest. Julie Haw, 54, said she saw masked men break a shopfront. An unnamed 33-year-old Singaporean said she encountered tear gas near Place de la République, while Edwin Ho, 40, said metro closures led him to cancel plans and stay home. The interviewees also described cafes open and ordinary activity continuing near affected streets.
CNA and AFP linked the Oct. 17 protests to public frustration over living costs and public services. AFP also reported that school demonstrations came before the unrest.
For Oct. 24, RATP says the Paris police prefecture asked it to close metro stations from 9 a.m. CEST (UTC+2); its notice also identifies interruptions on three line segments. The Mairie du 9ᵉ arrondissement, the district office, said the authorized demonstration route would run from Bastille to Nation. The notices concern Oct. 24, while Rachel’s trip begins Oct. 28; they do not specify service during her visit.
Dynasty Travel told CNA it received requests to change itineraries and had amended fewer than 10 France trips over safety concerns. Chan Brothers Travel said it had no protest-related cancellations and that its November and December tour groups remained scheduled. The accounts cover the agencies’ customers, not Singapore travelers overall.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises travelers in France to exercise a high degree of caution and avoid crowds and demonstration areas. It says protests and strikes may affect traffic and public transport.
The City of Paris said it plans to assign more than 1,000 street-cleaning workers over the weekend and activate its crisis-management unit at noon CEST (UTC+2) Saturday, Oct. 24.
