France braces for very high risk of disorder at Halloween protests

France is preparing for nationwide protests on October 31 after the interior minister warned of a very high risk of public disorder. Authorities say 70,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed across the country, with extra security measures in place. The demonstrations are expected to coincide with Halloween and follow a wave of cost-of-living protests that have already drawn large crowds and led to arrests.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday that the mobilisation would match the scale of last week's policing operation and described it as an exceptional measure. He said the government would strengthen the use of armoured vehicles and water cannon, which were introduced last week. Nunez also said demonstrations would be allowed, but not in city centres where there is a risk of disorder.

He warned that Halloween should not be used as a reason to hide one's face and cause disturbances in public areas. The ministry said more than 2,700 people were arrested a week earlier, after demonstrations that drew about 410,000 protesters nationwide, according to official figures. Unions put the turnout at roughly double that number.

The latest warning comes after some previous rallies degenerated into looting and riots, prompting a firmer security response from the authorities. Nunez also issued a warning to far-right groups after clashes with left-wing protesters in about 15 French cities. The planned protests matter because they come amid continuing anger over the rising cost of living, which has become a major source of unrest across France.

The yellow vest movement, which has repeatedly mobilised against economic pressure and inequality, has now called for a new day of action on Saturday. Student unions have also joined the call, widening the range of groups involved in the demonstrations. That combination raises the likelihood of larger crowds and more difficult policing in several parts of the country.

Nunez said some messages circulating on social media were promoting Halloween evening demonstrations and calling for a revolution. He accused the ultra-left movement and some yellow vest activists of encouraging disorder, while also saying the state would respond extremely firmly to any excesses. The yellow vest movement has announced a third act of its protests on Halloween and called for demonstrations outside the National Assembly and all town halls in the country.

The warning suggests authorities are treating the protests as a national security issue rather than a routine day of demonstrations. What remains unclear is how many people will turn out and whether the protests will stay peaceful or spread into the kind of disorder seen at earlier rallies. It is also not yet clear where the largest gatherings will form, despite the warning against demonstrations in city centres.

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