France to deploy 70,000 police for Halloween and weekend protests
Paris sends large police presence after arrests and injuries during recent protests; unions call new actions including a 5 November strike.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that more than 70,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide to respond firmly to any violence tied to demonstrations scheduled for 31 October 2026, the day many mark Halloween.
Large-scale deployment after recent unrest
Nuñez told reporters that extreme-left groups on social media have urged actions intended to provoke violence on that date, and that security forces will take all necessary measures to maintain order in cities across France.
Union leaders and student organisers have called for new protests on Saturday and for a national strike on 5 November 2026, saying discontent over wages, the cost of living and public services has spread well beyond the student movement that launched the demonstrations last month.
Authorities reported that 1,314 people were arrested during unrest accompanying last weekend’s demonstrations, and 53 police officers were injured, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The ministry also said 410,000 people took part in the protest marches last Saturday.
Last Saturday, authorities deployed 70,000 police officers and said the presence helped prevent a repeat of the looting and vandalism that affected many French cities on 17 October 2026.
Photo: press material from the event
