French authorities are mobilising a massive police presence in anticipation of violence and rioting during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Paris and around the country.
A total of 90,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed across the country, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said today. In France, New Year’s Eve celebrations are named after Saint-Sylvestre, a 4th-century pope.
This police figure includes reinforcements to address potential public order issues — such as urban violence, vehicle fires, and attacks on emergency services.
These incidents have become commonplace on New Year’s Eve, especially in deprived areas with high numbers of inhabitants with a migrant background.
In Paris and the surrounding petite couronne (inner suburbs), approximately 10,000 members of the security forces will be on duty.
This deployment will include police officers, gendarmes, firefighters from the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP), military personnel from Opération Sentinelle, municipal police, and paramedics.
The minister emphasised the need to offer security for large crowds gathering peaceably in public spaces, while maintaining a stance of “fermeté et autorité” (firmness and authority) in response to any disturbances.
The announcement came during an interview on news outlet France Inter, where Nuñez reiterated instructions sent to prefects for maximum vigilance.
“On New Year’s Eve, there are many people who go out into the streets to celebrate the passage to the New Year. So we have to make all these people safe. And then there is the traditional end-of-year urban violence that takes place in certain neighbourhoods, where there are mortars thrown at the police,” Nuñez stated
In previous years, similarly large numbers of security forces had to be amassed in order to stop violence and rioting.
Earlier in December, this year’s traditional large-scale concert on the Champs-Élysées was cancelled to mitigate risks of crowd surges, following a near-miss incident in 2024.
Fireworks and other displays will proceed, including a video projection on the Arc de Triomphe. However, there will be enhanced crowd management measures, including traffic restrictions, access filtering points, and prohibitions on public alcohol consumption in designated zones.
The nationwide mobilisation reflects ongoing French concerns over public safety, including a persistently high terrorist threat level in the country.
