Archive photograph of the Louvre courtyard, 16 May 2008. Photograph: MarcusObal/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
France is preparing to deploy 70,000 police officers and gendarmes for demonstrations on Saturday, 24 October, as the Louvre and other major Paris museums close amid fears of renewed violence.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the nationwide operation on Friday, a week after protests were accompanied by looting and clashes. The new measures extend the crisis beyond the streets, disrupting cultural visits and tightening the conditions under which marches can proceed.
In a statement issued on 23 October, the Interior Ministry instructed prefects to scrutinise organisers and routes, particularly where shops could be vulnerable. Organisers are expected to nominate reliable contacts and provide adequate stewards. Local officials may prohibit demonstrations in areas at risk of destruction or impose alternative routes after consultation with mayors.
The ministry also ordered checks at railway stations and on main roads to detect equipment that could be used in attacks and identify people barred from demonstrations. Reinforcements will include armoured Centaure vehicles and specialist RAID, BRI and GIGN units, alongside more mobile deployments.
Authorities said attacks on people or property would trigger intervention, with prosecutors involved in arrangements for gathering evidence and processing arrests. The ministry reiterated that the use of intermediate-force weapons must be proportionate and comply with the law.
The Louvre confirmed its exceptional closure for Saturday and said visitors with bookings for that day would receive automatic refunds. The dated notice applies specifically to 24 October. People planning a visit should check the museum’s own announcements before travelling.
The Culture Ministry also announced closures affecting the Musée d’Orsay, the Picasso Museum and the Grand Palais. Art Basel Paris, which had opened to the public on Friday, cancelled its weekend programme. The organiser’s visitor information says the fair is closed on 24 and 25 October and ticket holders will be contacted directly.
Restrictions differ between cities. In Paris, the authorised march is limited to a route between Bastille and Nation. Authorities in Marseille reversed an earlier ban to permit a union-organised demonstration on an exceptional basis, while central areas of Lyon remain off limits to protesters.
The movement began with secondary school pupils protesting over learning conditions and widened to include anger about living costs. President Emmanuel Macron met pupil representatives on Friday, but they called for mobilisation to continue while awaiting concrete proposals. According to presidential aides, Macron is postponing a planned visit to Nigeria and Senegal amid the crisis.
The CGT union has meanwhile argued that the government must address the social demands behind the protests. In a statement published on 21 October, it cited low wages, insecure work, pressure on public services and limited prospects for young people.
The union condemned damage and violence and called for peaceful demonstrations. It said it would help young people and workers protest safely on Saturday wherever conditions allowed. It also criticised the policing of the earlier demonstrations and called for a change in public-order strategy.
Beyond this weekend, the CGT is asking workplaces to hold assemblies to decide on extending strike action on 5 November, the date of a national strike and demonstration day agreed by the interunion movement. Its demands include higher wages and pensions and greater funding for public services and social security.
For travellers, British government advice updated on 22 October warns that demonstrations may be announced at short notice. It advises people to avoid large crowds and areas with a substantial police presence, follow local instructions and monitor local news. Transport disruption and partial, localised curfews are possible.
The advice also notes that most demonstrations are peaceful. Visitors should therefore check measures for their particular destination rather than assume that the same restrictions apply throughout France.
Podium News previously reported on the aftermath of the earlier unrest. The latest announcements concern preparations for a new day of demonstrations; they do not establish how Saturday’s protests will unfold.
Featured photograph: archive view of the Louvre courtyard, 16 May 2008, by MarcusObal/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. It does not show the October 2026 protests or closure. The social graphic uses a cropped adaptation under the same licence.
