The French government is deploying 70,000 police officers to cities across the country as authorities expect a third week of intense anti-government protests to resume Saturday.Demonstrators objecting to rising costs and President Emmanuel Macron's government have engaged in looting and damaging property, prompting the law enforcement surge, according to officials."Everyone is on deck to ensure an extremely firm response to any trouble," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said at a news conference early in the week.A French gendarme stands amid clouds of tear gas during a demonstration over the cost of living, public services and economic policies on Oct.24, 2026, in Nantes, France.
The protest was part of nationwide demonstrations involving labor unions, students and former Yellow Vest protesters.(Guillaume Saligot/AFP via Getty Images)FRANCE ON EDGE WITH 70,000 POLICE DEPLOYED FOR UNREST AS AUTHORITIES PROBE SUSPECTED TERROR ATTACK NEAR PARISThe expected protests, coinciding with Halloween, introduce an additional element to authorities' response, as some protesters are expected to don Halloween masks to hide their identities.At least 150 planned gatherings across the country have been tracked and acknowledged by the Interior Ministry.FRANCE'S MACRON BLAMES PROTESTS ON 'ULTRA-LEFT GROUPS WHOSE AIM IS TO BRING DOWN THE REPUBLIC'One of the events, a planned march between the iconic Parisian squares of Republique and Bastille, has been banned by France's top administrative court.
The demonstration was instead rerouted to boulevards on the eastern fringe of the city, far from the main shopping centers.France's Chamber of Commerce has estimated retail losses from looting and property damage at over $1 billion, while other estimates that include lost revenue calculate losses could be double that.Boarded up stores, including Christian Dior, Parfums de Marly and Ex Nihilo, on Rue Saint-Honore following looting in central Paris, France, on Wednesday, Oct.21, 2026.
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