Fears of violence as France braces for Halloween protests

France on Saturday (October 31, 2026) braced for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, as shops boarded up and authorities scrambled to prevent a repeat of the street violence that swept the country two weeks ago.

The demonstrations come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls. President Emmanuel Macron this week said it was "not normal" for France to be in such a state of "turmoil" so close to a presidential election.

Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday (October 31, 2026), matching the number mobilised a week ago, as authorities seek to avert a repeat of the October 17 unrest. More than 40 metro stations will be closed in the capital and tram services will also be disrupted.

An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said they expected street violence on a scale "comparable" to the unrest two weeks ago, when images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world.

But following a security clampdown and serious injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection of civil liberties and the right to protest. A police source pointed to "considerable nervousness" among the authorities.

"There is no reason to think this will go smoothly," the source said. Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's chamber of commerce, said business owners were worried. "Shopkeepers can't wait for Saturday (October 31, 2026) to be over," Mr.

Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter. "The information we have is that Halloween is not helping matters, because we're going to have people wearing masks." Ahead of the protests, some shops and other businesses across France boarded up their storefronts.

"Behind these boards, there is neither power nor an enemy. Just a family and its work," read a message scrawled in black across the plywood protecting a Paris business. The Interior Minister on Thursday (October 29, 2026) warned of a "very high risk of public disorder", saying demonstrations would be allowed, but not in city centres.

The Paris police prefecture tried to prevent demonstrators from marching between Bastille and Nation in eastern Paris, but a court overturned the ban. Mr. Nunez said authorities had detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening urging protesters to spark a "revolution".

Some posts on social media called on people to dress up and gather for a "night of darkness". Mr. Nunez warned that protesters would not be allowed to wear masks concealing their faces. On Friday (October 30, 2026), customers crowded into a costume shop in Paris, but manager Didier Jarsale said it was not his job to "ask every customer what they intend to do with what they buy."