France Mobilizes 70,000 Officers as Protests Return Under Strict Limits

France is entering a second phase of nationwide unrest, with authorities deploying over 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to manage demonstrations that began in Paris on Saturday.

Local officials in Paris approved only one route for the main march, directing crowds from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes along the Boulevards des Marechaux. This decision came after authorities banned an originally negotiated central path between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation. Additionally, protests organized by groups other than labor unions were prohibited in the capital.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that 20 percent more officers were on duty compared to the previous weekend. The elite RAID unit was positioned to support general police operations rather than manage direct crowd control. By early Saturday afternoon, police reported arresting at least 135 people nationwide and seizing various weapons, while describing the overall situation as calm.

The tactical restrictions caused friction among demonstrators. Emma, a protester and podcaster, described the route change as a government tactic to drain energy from the movement. Monica, a retired public education worker, said the move made the movement appear invisible to the public. Neither provided a last name. Marchers included students, teachers, nurses, ecologists, and union representatives who chanted slogans demanding President Emmanuel Macron resign and called for systemic change.

Businesses in central Paris prepared for the event by shuttering stores and installing protective panels on shop windows. At least 24 metro stations closed at the request of the police prefecture. Major cultural institutions, including the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay, closed their doors, and Art Basel Paris canceled its weekend programming. In other cities, authorities banned protests in downtown areas of Montpellier, Rouen, and Nice. In Lyon, police used tear gas to disperse approximately 150 demonstrators.

The current unrest follows violent clashes on October 17, which saw thousands of businesses damaged and more than 2,000 people taken into custody. That day, more than 500,000 people marched. The crisis began in mid-September when high school students blockaded schools over poor building conditions, teacher shortages, and the university admission system. On Friday, Macron met with student representatives for the first time since the protests started and promised more teachers and a major overhaul of the Parcoursup system. Students indicated they will continue mobilizing until the government provides concrete actions.

The political tension is heightened by the presidential election scheduled for six months from now. Macron is barred from seeking a third term and will leave office in 2027. Marine Le Pen leads recent polls by a wide margin and has campaigned on law and order. In Orleans, thousands of protesters shouted anti-fascist slogans as her National Rally party held a congress, while authorities expected 20,000 to 30,000 people to join a counter-demonstration.