France to ban protests in Marseille and Lyon after riots

France will prohibit demonstrations in Marseille and Lyon on Saturday, 24 October, as authorities prepare for another round of protests following last weekend’s riots, BBC News reported. President Emmanuel Macron said that where demonstrations remain permitted, only authorised trade-union marches would be allowed.

The restrictions extend beyond street gatherings. Marseille’s public transport will be suspended on Saturday, while the Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums in Paris will close that day. Interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger said police deployments would rise by 20% compared with the previous weekend.

Government tightens security after widespread damage

Macron met ministers and intelligence officials on Thursday to prepare for Saturday’s national protest day. He said prefects would propose alternative routes for permitted union demonstrations, while non-union gatherings would be prohibited wherever possible. Paris authorities have already banned several proposed yellow-vest marches.

Curfews and restrictions on young people’s movements or public gatherings have been imposed in several cities since the unrest, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Lille. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has promised a substantial police deployment, although some officers have told French media they lack training for handling large crowds.

Macron accused far-left groups of organising acts intended to undermine the Republic. That is the president’s allegation; the reporting does not establish who coordinated the violence or substantiate a shared political objective among those involved.

Peaceful marches were marred by violence

Around 550,000 people joined demonstrations on 17 October over rising fuel prices and living costs, following weeks of student protests over school conditions. Unions, student groups and the yellow-vest movement backed the marches, which were largely peaceful but were accompanied by rioting, looting and destruction in several cities.

More than 500 businesses were damaged in Marseille. Lyon’s tourism office was set alight, while a fire at Limoges city hall caused its clock tower and sections of its roof to collapse. Rioters also vandalised the Place de la République in Paris.

Fast-track trials follow arrests

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Thursday that 2,700 people had been arrested nationwide and more than 1,000 had appeared in court. He said 217 people had been convicted and jailed through fast-track proceedings, with further cases expected.

In the Limoges investigation, a second suspect, aged 66, was arrested on Thursday. A man in his 30s had previously been detained on suspicion of attempting to murder police officers who were inside city hall when the fire began. Those arrests do not establish either suspect’s guilt.