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Paris police restrict march as protests are planned across France

Students, trade unionists and Yellow Vest participants are expected at demonstrations over living costs and school conditions, while police have barred a central Paris route.

NewsJaws DeskEditorial desk

Published 17 Oct 2026, 06:30 BST2 min read

People gathered at Place de la République in Paris during the Global Debout event. — File photo: People gather at Place de la République in Paris during the Global Debout event on 15 May 2016. Elekes Andor, Global Debout - Place de la République, 2016.05.15 (2) (resized and converted to WebP). CC BY-SA 4.0.Image source Image licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Paris police have banned a major march through the city centre ahead of demonstrations planned across France on 17 October, as students, trade unionists and Yellow Vest participants prepare to protest over prices and public services. Negotiations with organisers over an alternative route failed, France 24 reported. The restrictions affect how protesters can gather in the capital as organisers prepare events nationwide.

Where the Paris demonstration is planned

Paris police chief Patrice Faure also banned demonstrations around the Élysée presidential palace, the prime minister’s office and the Champs-Élysées. The main Paris demonstration was scheduled to begin at 2pm at Place de la République and head north, according to France 24. Organisers’ website listed more than 600 planned demonstrations across France; that figure counts announced events, not gatherings that have taken place.

A police source told AFP that authorities estimated nearly 200,000 people could participate nationally, including 40,000 in Paris, France 24 reported. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France 2 that officials expected a substantial turnout. The figures are forecasts rather than attendance counts.

Why students and Yellow Vest participants are joining

The protests began last month at high schools in poorer northern Paris suburbs, Reuters reported. Complaints about absent teachers and deteriorating facilities broadened into demands concerning inequality, public spending and declining standards. The planned demonstrations now bring those concerns together with anger over high prices, drawing trade unionists and people associated with the Yellow Vest movement.

France 24 reported that a viral TikTok video about rising fuel prices helped launch the online call for 17 October demonstrations. Former Yellow Vest figures planned to support the students, although participants interviewed for its earlier report questioned whether the separate movements had truly converged. The Yellow Vest protests began in 2018 over diesel taxes before expanding into a broader challenge over living costs and inequality, Reuters reported.

Officials prepare for possible unrest

President Emmanuel Macron called for calm and respect ahead of the demonstrations, saying the right to protest carried a duty to respect people and property, France 24 reported. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday that authorities feared unrest, according to Reuters. The government accused France Unbowed of inflaming the protests; the party denied the allegation.

Reuters reported that France had suspended the use of stun grenades during student demonstrations. Nunez said they could nevertheless be used at Saturday’s protest if clashes occurred. The internal police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence, Reuters reported, adding to scrutiny of how authorities respond to the planned gatherings.