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More than 600 protests planned across France on October 24
Bans and curfews imposed in several cities after last weekend’s violence
Published
Hundreds of demonstrations are set to take place once again in France on October 24, for the second weekend in a row, as part of protests against the rising cost of living.
The 17 octobre gilet jaune website currently records 646 planned mobilisations, including 455 demonstrations, 85 protests at roundabouts, 32 at railway stations and 15 at toll booths. The number continues to increase.
At the same time, authorities, seeking to avoid a repeat of last weekend’s violence, are stepping up security, with a number of cities announcing bans on protests this weekend.
Last weekend’s protests brought together yellow vest protesters, workers, students and some farmers, alongside trade unions and other groups, who voiced concerns about living costs, fuel prices, wages and public services.
However, the October 17 protests also saw clashes, widespread looting and arson attacks, despite many demonstrations taking place peacefully.
The interior ministry put national turnout at 550,000 across 110 demonstrations last Saturday, while organisers estimated that 800,000 people had taken part.
Security measures tightened ahead of Saturday
For tomorrow, authorities are preparing a reinforced security operation. The national security deployment is expected to include 20% more police and gendarmes than on October 17.
French president Emmanuel Macron has also said that only union-organised demonstrations would be allowed on Saturday.
Additionally, many cities have chosen to ban protests entirely over the weekend, including Lyon, Marseille and Nice.
Other cities, including Toulon, Chambéry and Le Mans, have brought in bans for parts of the city.
Restrictions have also been introduced in Paris, while some local authorities have imposed night-time curfews on unaccompanied minors.
In Nice, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture has banned demonstrations and gatherings in the city centre on Saturday. It has also announced that 450 police officers, riot police and gendarmes will be deployed in Nice, with additional security measures in other towns across the department.
In Marseille, all demonstrations are banned and a curfew covering adults as well as minors will be in force.
In Nancy, demonstrations are also prohibited in a designated central area on Saturday. Restrictions on fireworks, flammable products, fuel, weapons and certain protective equipment also apply across the Greater Nancy metropolitan area and several surrounding communes.
Authorities in other locations have introduced further restrictions in an effort to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s destruction.
Unions continue to call for action
The CGT trade union confederation has urged workers to continue mobilising on October 24, saying that the government must address the grievances behind the protests.
Its general secretary, Sophie Binet, also criticised restrictions on demonstrations.
“The right to demonstrate is the foundation of democracy,” she told public broadcaster franceinfo.
“On October 24, we once again call on all activists to put on their red vests so that young people and workers can exercise their right to demonstrate and make demands,” she said in a message shared by the CGT on Instagram.
Meanwhile, the government is considering bringing forward the next increase in the SMIC (France’s minimum wage), currently scheduled for January 1.
The CGT is not the only group using social media to promote mobilisation.
Calls to demonstrate, meeting points and practical information have been shared on TikTok and Instagram, with participants also using Telegram, Discord and Signal to organise locally.
Some groups have shared information about legal assistance, first aid and car-sharing arrangements.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has raised the possibility of suspending access to social media during serious unrest, referring to a 2025 Council of State ruling on restrictions under exceptional circumstances.
“These social networks are becoming a real problem, and there is another avenue... which is this possibility... of suspending the use of the networks,” he said.
Laurent Nunez évoque désormais le sujet du blocage des réseaux sociaux, hier au Sénat. "Ces réseaux sociaux, cela devient une véritable problématique, et il y a une autre piste (...), c'est cette possibilité, (...), de suspendre l'utilisation des réseaux. Le Conseil d'État en 2025 avait considéré qu'en principe, rien ne l'interdisait au titre des circonstances exceptionnelles, avec des conditions très strictes, et c'est quelque chose qui évidemment ne m'a pas échappé". Suite à ces propos, des sources gouvernementales tempèrent auprès de BFMTV, refusant d'évoquer la suspension des plateformes comme "piste d'étude" actuelle.
— Raphael Grably (@GrablyR) October 22, 2026
So far, no such measure has been put in place.
Businesses fear further damage
The planned protests have also raised concerns among businesses following the looting and damage reported last weekend.
France’s network of chambers of commerce and industry, CCI France, said it had identified more than 2,000 shops that had been vandalised during the October 17 unrest by Thursday evening.
The total damage is estimated at hundreds of millions of euros.
Marseille mayor Benoît Payan separately estimated that damage to municipal property and businesses in the city had reached €28million.
In Limoges, the historic town hall was also set alight, with its roof and bell tower collapsing.
According to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, around 2,700 people had been placed in police custody in connection with the weekend’s violence, with 217 imprisoned.
