Paris, the capital of France, announced it is extending its curfew measures until next Monday, while the cities of Marseille and Lyon have imposed a total ban on protests throughout this weekend.
On Thursday, 22 Oct 2026 GMT+7, Paris authorities declared an extension of partial curfew measures covering the Place de la République square and the Les Halles shopping district until Monday, 26 Oct. People are prohibited from traveling between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day. Additionally, major museums including the Louvre, Orsay, and Picasso will be closed this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Marseille and Lyon have strictly banned all protest gatherings citywide throughout the weekend. In Marseille, public transportation services will be suspended on Saturday, and the curfew will be extended to cover all residents overnight from 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, 24 Oct, until 5:00 a.m. on Sunday.
Other cities such as Nice, Toulon, Rouen, and Grenoble have also announced similar curfew measures.
President Emmanuel Macron stated that only authorized labor union demonstrations will be permitted, with new routes designated. Non-union protests will be banned wherever possible. He condemned left-wing groups for attempting to overthrow the government.
These recent developments follow last weekend’s nationwide protests involving at least 550,000 people demonstrating against high living costs and school environments. Although initially peaceful, the situation escalated into violence, including riots, looting, and destruction of historic buildings—for example, the Lyon tourism office was set on fire, and the clock tower of Limoges city hall was burned down and collapsed.
The Minister of Justice revealed that these riots resulted in 2,700 arrests nationwide, with 217 individuals rapidly sentenced through expedited judicial processes. More than half of those detained had no prior criminal records.
Meanwhile, Jean-Didier Berthault, the Minister of the Interior, announced a 20% increase in police forces compared to the previous week to address the risk of renewed violence this weekend, following calls by protest organizers for another public demonstration.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:BBC