French authorities have placed security forces across the country on maximum alert and deployed elite military and tactical police units ahead of widespread nationwide protests scheduled for Saturday, October 24.
The heightened security measures follow a series of escalating demonstrations sparked by trade unions, the Yellow Vests movement, student groups, and public sector workers protesting rising living costs, inflation, and fuel prices. Major cultural institutions, including the Louvre Museum, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Picasso Museum in Paris, announced total closures for Saturday in anticipation of potential disruptions and security risks.
Speaking on national television ahead of the demonstrations, France’s Minister Delegate to the Interior Ministry, Jean-Didier Berger, confirmed that security force deployments would be increased significantly compared to previous rally weekends.
“We are at a maximum level of vigilance,” Berger told broadcaster BFMTV. “We have canceled leave and recalled personnel who were supposed to be off duty. Deployments of security forces will be 20 percent higher than during earlier demonstrations.”
In addition to standard riot control personnel, French President Emmanuel Macron’s administration authorized the deployment of Operation Sentinelle military forces alongside specialist tactical counter-terrorism units, including the GIGN and RAID. Non-union-sponsored protests have been banned in critical urban centers, including Lyon and central Toulon, though trade-union-led marches in select regions like Marseille were granted special permits.
Municipal prefects across France instructed shopkeepers and commercial property owners to fortify storefronts and clear potential hazards from public footpaths. While weekend demonstrations continue to test regional transit routes and municipal public order, major trade unions have also called for a broader nationwide general strike slated for early November.
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