ht curfews and banned the transport of portable fuel containers and pyrotechnics. In Paris, a curfew runs from 11pm to 6am around République and Les Halles until October 26.
In Paris, commercial businesses along expected march routes have boarded up shopfronts, while landmark institutions including the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay announced temporary closures as a precaution against vandalism. The Musée Picasso is also shut and the Grand Palais has closed its exhibitions, while transport operator RATP is closing 24 metro stations from 9am and partially suspending three lines.
In a counter-gesture, President Emmanuel Macron received secondary school organisations on October 23 to talk about their grievances for the first time since the protests began. Pupils and students are demanding smaller classes, the replacement of absent teachers and the scrapping of Parcoursup, the university admissions platform. Lecornu is due to meet school representatives, teachers and local officials on October 26.
Because of the threat of riots and violence, prefects of several major French cities, such as Lyon, Rouen and Grenoble, have banned or restricted gatherings, in an effort to prevent scenes like those of October 17. In Rouen, the prefect of Seine-Maritime barred gatherings in three central districts between 9am and 8pm and prohibited the carrying of petrol, gas, solvents and pyrotechnic articles.
The one authorised march in Paris, called by the CGT union, is to run from Bastille to Nation from 2pm. The police prefecture rejected a Bastille-to-Opéra route sought by the gilets jaunes (“yellow vests”) coordination and banned every other demonstration in the capital.
A football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday has been put back to Monday at the request of the police prefecture, placing it against the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
In Orléans there will also be a big counter-protest against the National Rally (RN) congress. The party is due to confirm Jordan Bardella as its leader on October 24, with a rally addressed by presidential candidate Marine Le Pen the following day. The prefecture expects between 20,000 and 30,000 counter-demonstrators, summoned by some 50 parties and unions. Nuñez travelled to the city on October 23 to inspect the security arrangements, at Lecornu’s request.
France has signalled that fresh curfews would be imposed on the night of October 20 wherever local officials judged them necessary, after the first night without serious disorder since the rioting of October 17. https://t.co/yRfUtVxzjK
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 20, 2026
