Tear gas was fired at demonstrators and more than 100 people were arrested across France, as the authorities attempted to prevent a repeat of the riots and looting that rocked the country last weekend.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez said 135 people had been arrested nationwide by early afternoon, with around 70,000 police officers deployed.
Officers used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Lyon and Nantes, while in Paris, luxury shops boarded up windows and added guards.
Some of the capital city’s top tourist attractions and metro stations closed before the protests.
Some shopkeepers have begun arming themselves with baseball bats, crowbars and shotguns to protect their businesses.
Clashes were reported between protesters and police in Marseille.
French president Emmanuel Macron met with high school unions yesterday in an 11th hour attempt to quell unrest anticipated over the weekend.
However, student leaders emerged from the talks dissatisfied, urging pupils to continue protesting until the government presented concrete proposals to address their demands.
The demonstrations, which began over deteriorating conditions in schools, have spread across France, fuelled by wider anger over rising living costs and strained public services.
Key Points
- 135 protesters arrested at rallies across France
- Police fire tear gas at demonstrators in Lyon
- Protests begin under heavy security as police seek to prevent fresh unrest
- Shopkeepers arm themselves with bats and shotguns after widespread looting
- Louvre and Musée d'Orsay to shut as Paris braces for protests
- What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they are spreading across Europe
Clashes reported in Marseille
17:26 , Holly BancroftClashes between protesters and police have been reported in Marseille near an arch where a planned demonstration was scheduled to conclude.
Young men, many with covered faces, had dragged large streets of metal into the street as barricades, according to The New York Times. Others threw rocks and bottles at riot police, and officers fired volleys of tear gas at protesters.
Watch: Police use tear gas on French protesters marching in Lyon
17:00 , Dan HaygarthIn pictures: Protests across France
16:30 , Dan Haygarth
Mona Lisa off limits as Paris shuts museums over protest fears
16:00 , Dan HaygarthDisappointed tourists poked their heads through the Louvre's locked gates on Saturday, shut off from the Mona Lisa as galleries and museums across Paris closed as a precaution ahead of fresh demonstrations.
"When we came, we thought there could be a problem but not that the museum would be closed," Italian social educator Selena Bertoni, 31, said in front of the Musée d'Orsay.
On a four-day trip to Paris she had paid €50 for two tickets to see its Impressionist paintings and other masterpieces.
"Bad timing," she said, with a shrug.
The closures came one week after nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and deteriorating public services descended into some of the worst street violence that France has seen in years. The violence and damage prompted the government to impose localised curfews and close many public venues ahead of demonstrations planned on Saturday.
The shutdown extended across much of the capital's cultural sector, including the Orangerie, Jeu de Paume and Picasso museums, while the entire Tuileries Gardens complex that leads out of the Louvre was sealed off.
"This is the third museum we have come to that is closed. They should've warned us," French visitor Heidi Rosar, 21, said.
At the Louvre, the locked black iron gates blocked access to the entire site and the garden.
"We wanted to at least see the pyramid," 67-year-old Canadian Don Nowschuk said, referring to the museum's landmark glass entrance.
On a two-night stay in the City of Light, Nowschuk suggested the local authorities might be overreacting.
"There is so much security that you would think it would be enough to secure the museum," he said.
"It's a bit weird to see so many cops with guns around Paris. We are used to guns but not like this."
The disruption extended to the performing arts sector. The Paris Opera shuttered both the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, citing safety concerns for staff and audiences.
Organisers of `the prestigious Art Basel Paris fair also cancelled its weekend programme. The cultural centres posted warnings about the closures on Friday, but some people never thought to check.
"How could we have known? We didn't think a museum could be closed. We are a bit naive," 59-year-old French woman Catherine Sebbagh said.
Watch: Protests take place across France as country braces for riots
15:30 , Dan HaygarthWhat sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they are spreading across Europe
15:15 , Dan HaygarthClick below for everything you need to know about the nationwide movement:
What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they are spreading across Europe
In pictures: Tear gas used in Lyon
15:00 , Dan Haygarth
Demonstrators accuse French government of overreacting
14:50 , Dan HaygarthMany demonstrators accused the government of over-reacting, with soldiers dispatched to patrol the Champs-Elysees.
"We shed tears for shops, not for the people who are being impoverished all year round," said Clara Lebbadi, a 22-year-old arts student.
"My friend and I almost didn't come because we were scared, but we came precisely because it's important not to let repression win," she added.
The first authorised march on Saturday passed off peacefully in Orléans, around 120 km (75 miles) south of Paris, where demonstrators rallied against Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally as it held a party congress in the city.
In pictures: Demonstrators take to the streets across France
14:36 , Dan Haygarth
Shops and museums shut in Paris
14:30 , Dan Haygarth
Much of central Paris has taken on the appearance of a city under lockdown, with shopkeepers boarding up storefronts, museums closing their doors and more than 20 metro stations shut.
Business groups urged retailers to remain closed after thousands of shops and businesses were damaged or looted across France last weekend.
"There are hardly any customers, so it's not really worth staying open," said Oskar, manager of a Kiton boutique in Paris.
Several of the capital's best-known cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay and the Paris Opera, closed for the day as a precaution, leaving tourists frustrated.
"Everything's boarded up and we're not quite sure where we should be," said Xavier Dolliole, a tourist from the US city of New Orleans.
The route for Paris' main demonstration was settled only after a legal battle triggered by a last-minute police `order moving organisers away from the city centre towards the southeastern fringes of the capital.
Police argued the original route passed through areas with a high concentration of businesses similar to those targeted last weekend. Leftist leaders said the late change was aimed at causing confusion and keeping people away.
'Tear gas and water cannon used in Nantes'
14:15 , Dan HaygarthTear gas and a water cannon were deployed in Nantes protesters tried to breach a perimeter around an unauthorised gathering, the BBC reports.
The Prefecture des Pays de la Loire et de Loire-Atlantique said they took the measures after issuing "preliminary warnings".
France protests begin under heavy security as police seek to prevent fresh unrest
14:12 , Dan HaygarthDemonstrators gathered in Paris and cities across France on Saturday under the watch of 70,000 police officers, as the government sought to prevent a repeat of the riots and looting that rocked the country last weekend.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez said 135 people had been arrested nationwide by early afternoon, many following pre-emptive searches that uncovered fireworks, ball bearings and other items that could be used as weapons.
"We have to be ultra, ultra responsive. We have significant calls for disruption from political groups and quite simply from criminals," he told reporters.
"It is going to be a long day."
While the start of the main Paris march was peaceful, police fired tear gas at crowds in Lyon, France's third-largest city.
The government has deployed 10,000 more police and gendarmes than on 17 October, when protests over the cost of living and deteriorating public services descended into some of the worst unrest France has seen in years.
Watch: Shop owners in France board up windows ahead of weekend protests
14:00 , Dan Haygarth135 protesters arrested at rallies across France
13:59 , Natalie CrockettInterior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police have so far arrested 135 people at protests across France, as of 1pm local time (12pm BST), the BBC reported.
Mr Nuñez said 136 rallies were recorded by police on Saturday morning, compared to 264 at the same time last week when violence broke out during mass demonstrations.
Speaking at a press conference, he said that so far 35,000 protesters have been counted, compared to 60,000 at the same time last week.
'United against the rich', protester's sign urges
13:30 , Dan Haygarth
The European cities facing more protests from Paris to Milan as cost of living crisis bites
12:59 , Dan HaygarthViolent protests have broken out across Europe amid growing frustration over the cost of living crisis, a lack of affordable housing and deteriorating conditions in schools.
As many as 550,000 people turned out across France last Saturday, according to authorities, to demonstrate against declining public services. Protests turned violent in Paris as shops were looted and cars set on fire in some of the city’s worst violence in years.
France is now bracing for another weekend of unrest, despite curfews imposed across the country and an 11th hour meeting between president Emmanuel Macron and high school unions on Friday to hear out their concerns and demands.
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The European cities facing protests as continent gripped by cost of living crisis
In pictures: Demonstrators dispersed in Lyon
12:33 , Dan Haygarth
Police fire tear gas in Lyon
12:08 , Dan HaygarthPolice fired tear gas to disperse about 150 people protesting in Lyon, in an area banned to all demonstrations, an AFP journalist reported.
Officers fired several tear gas grenades to clear the group, which was holding its protest near a university building and the city's police station, they said.
The police moved in as the protesters had tried to block the road.
Earlier a police helicopter could be seen flying over the city, with security forces patrolling and armoured vehicles and riot police vans parked nearby. Shops were boarded up, with private security guards in front of some.
Watch: Shop owners in France board up shops ahead of another weekend of unrest
12:00 , Dan HaygarthMetro stations shut down, BBC reports
11:37 , Dan HaygarthThe BBC reports that Paris’s transport authority, the RATP, has confirmed that several metro stations in the city have shut down because of today's protests.
What to know about the weapons and tactics blamed for injuring French protesters
11:30 , Dan Haygarth
What to know about the weapons and tactics blamed for injuring French protesters
Several Paris metro lines shut or affected due to protests
11:27 , Dan Haygarth📢❌ En raison d’une manifestation sur la voie publique et sur ordre de la Préfecture de Police, les stations Bel Air, Picpus, Dugommier et Daumesnil sont fermées, aujourd'hui à partir de 9h00 #Ligne6 #RATP (1/2)
— Ligne 6 (@Ligne6_RATP) October 24, 2026
📢❌ En raison d’une manifestation sur la voie publique et sur ordre de la Préfecture de Police, le trafic est interrompu entre Nation et Barbès-Rochechouart. ℹ️ La reprise du trafic interviendra sur autorisation de la @prefpolice. #Ligne2 #RATP
— Ligne 2 (@Ligne2_RATP) October 24, 2026
📢❌ En raison d’une manifestation sur la voie publique et sur ordre de la Préfecture de Police, le trafic sera interrompu, samedi 24/10 à partir de 9h00, entre Madeleine et Notre-Dame-des-Champs. La reprise du trafic interviendra sur autorisation de la @prefpolice #Ligne12 #RATP
— Ligne 12 (@Ligne12_RATP) October 23, 2026
The European cities facing more protests from Paris to Milan as cost of living crisis bites
11:00 , Dan HaygarthViolent protests have broken out across Europe amid growing frustration over the cost of living crisis, a lack of affordable housing and deteriorating conditions in schools.
As many as 550,000 people turned out across France last Saturday, according to authorities, to demonstrate against declining public services. Protests turned violent in Paris as shops were looted and cars set on fire in some of the city’s worst violence in years.
France is now bracing for another weekend of unrest, despite curfews imposed across the country and an 11th hour meeting between president Emmanuel Macron and high school unions on Friday to hear out their concerns and demands.
Read more below:
The European cities facing protests as continent gripped by cost of living crisis
France mounts huge security operation as protesters prepare to march
10:49 , Dan Haygarth
French security forces fanned out across Paris on Saturday ahead of protests that authorities fear could turn violent, with interior minister Laurent Nunez urging police to be "hyper-reactive" against troublemakers and looters.
Soldiers from an anti-terrorism military unit patrolled the Champs-Elysees avenue while police vans circled the Arc de Triomphe, looking to protect some of the capital's most famous sites from any repeat of the unrest that shook France last week.
Nunez has mobilised 70,000 police nationwide for Saturday's demonstrations, 10,000 more than on 17 October, when a wave of vandalism and looting raised questions about the government's ability to maintain order.
Anger over living costs and strained public services has drawn students, workers and unions onto the streets in recent weeks, but authorities say radical militants and bands of young looters have exploited the protests to sow chaos. Speaking to police in Paris, Nunez warned officers that they would face attempts to target shops, public institutions and security forces.
"We have to be ultra, ultra responsive. We have significant calls for disruption `from political groups and quite simply from criminals," he said. "It is going to be a long day."
Watch live: France braces for another weekend of protests as 70,000 police deployed
10:30 , Dan HaygarthLouvre shuts down over fears of violence in Paris
10:09 , Dan HaygarthThe Louvre is closed on Saturday, along with several other major Paris museums, because of concerns about potential violence during planned protests, France's culture ministry says.
The Orsay and Picasso museums are also among those that are closed, the ministry said.
The ministry called on all institutions under its authority to adopt any necessary measures to ensure “visitor safety, staff protection and the preservation of artworks”.
The closures follow protests last Saturday that descended into mayhem, with rioters setting fires, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.
Read more:
France protests: Louvre shuts down over fears of violence in Paris
Trump questions NFL’s decision to go ahead with Paris game
10:00 , Dan HaygarthPresident Donald Trump has questioned the NFL’s decision to go ahead with a game in Paris amid widespread unrest in the country.
The first regular-season NFL game to be staged in France is due to kick off on Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, which sits just north of Paris.
Trump said Friday that the league “could have probably postponed” the fixture between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints.
Read more:
Trump questions NFL’s decision to go ahead with Paris game
France's luxury stores board up windows ahead of fresh protests
09:30 , Shweta SharmaLuxury boutiques in France boarded up their normally glitzy windows and added guards ahead of fresh protests on Saturday, with some planning to stay closed after rioters looted shops across the country last weekend.
France, the most visited country in the world, draws large numbers of overseas shoppers seeking Chanel handbags and Hermes scarves, an important source of revenue for brands facing slowing demand.
But some decided staying open was too risky after last week's events, when rioters smashed and looted hundreds of shops in Paris, Marseille and Bordeaux.
A Rolex retailer and a De Beers store near the capital's famous Place Vendome will remain closed on Saturday, staff said, while managers at stores including Richemont-owned IWC said they would decide whether to close early depending on the intensity of the protests.
Staff at LVMH brands Louis Vuitton, Dior and Bulgari said they weren't taking any chances and security at their stores near Place Vendome had been increased for the day. Additional private security to supplement the police presence in the neighbourhood is also planned.
Nearby department store Printemps also increased its security staff, carried out safety repairs and added security measures to reinforce shop windows and entrances, a spokesperson for the store said.
Hermes finance chief Eric du Halgouet said this week the company had increased security measures at its French stores, adding it was too early to say how much impact recent events would have on business.
Lidiya Shevchenko, a sales assistant at a Graziella Braccialini store, said she doubted many people would be looking to visit stores anyway during the protests.
"I suppose the mood is just as important when it comes to shopping," Shevchenko said.
What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they are spreading across Europe
09:02 , Dan HaygarthDemonstrations were boosted by other groups last week, protesting the high cost of living and what they say is the deterioration of the social welfare system.
The General Confederation of Labour (CGT), which is one of the country’s largest unions, backed the protests, issuing a call for lower prices and higher pensions and wages.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets. Protesters in Marseille stormed the town hall, painting an ‘A’ for anarchy on a wall, while in Paris, police fired tear gas and a water cannon and rioters threw stones and fireworks.
In Lyon, protesters set fire to the city’s tourism office.
French authorities said there were more than 500,000 protesters across the country, with more than 800 arrests in Paris alone.
Macron has called for calm, saying “we all feel anger and shame” after “unprecedented violence” nationwide. He vowed to “make examples if need be” of the rioters, warning for “those who want to spark violence and create unrest in our country, we will not yield”.
Read more:
What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they are spreading across Europe
Fears of further violence as France braces for more protests this weekend
09:00 , Shweta SharmaFrance is bracing for more protests this weekend after a week of turmoil and upheaval across the country following riots and looting last weekend.
The country has faced unprecedented violence after student protests led to clashes with police, which caused at least one teenager to have his hand blown off by a stun grenade and a one-year-old child to be hospitalised after a firework went off near his pram.
Justice minister Gerald Darmanin said that at least 217 people had been jailed in connection with the violence over the last week after undergoing fast-track trials to curtail the disorder.
Police deployments are also to be increased by 20 per cent, according to the country’s interior minister, Jean-Didier Berger.
But President Emmanuel Macron said that this weekend’s demonstrations will be strictly limited to those organised by authorised unions.
Fears of further violence as France braces for more protests this weekend
Macron condemns ‘racist terrorist attack’ after one killed and five injured in Paris shootings
08:00 , Shweta SharmaFrance president Emmanuel Macron has called the shootings in the Paris suburbs which killed one person and wounded at least five others, including a 12-year-old girl, as “a racist terror attack”.
A gunman fired from a vehicle at three locations in the Paris suburbs in what French authorities described as a racially motivated attack.
Out of the five who were wounded, three of them have life-threatening injuries.
France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s office took charge of the case on Friday after the suspect was arrested.
Macron condemns ‘racist terrorist attack’ after Paris shootings
French shopkeepers arm themselves with bats and shotguns after widespread looting
07:00 , Shweta SharmaSome French shopkeepers have begun arming themselves with baseball bats, crowbars and shotguns to protect their businesses following widespread looting during last weekend's protests.
Around 3,000 shops and businesses were ransacked during the unrest, prompting business groups to urge retailers to remain closed ahead of another round of nationwide demonstrations on Saturday.
Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France's chamber of commerce, warned business owners against taking matters into their own hands.
"It's extremely worrying," he told Europe 1 radio.
"It's not their job to do that. It would add suffering onto suffering."
PSG match postponed over security fears but NFL game set to go ahead
05:30 , Shweta SharmaParis Saint-Germain's home Ligue 1 match against Olympique Lyonnais has been postponed from Sunday to Monday amid fears of renewed unrest in the French capital.
The decision comes as authorities prepare for nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, with 70,000 police officers deployed across France.
However, an NFL regular-season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints remains scheduled to take place in Paris on Sunday.
US president Donald Trump has suggested that the American football fixture should be cancelled because of the security situation.
Several of Paris's major cultural institutions have also announced closures for Saturday as authorities seek to prevent a repeat of last weekend's violence.
