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France tightens weekend protest restrictions as Paris court lifts one march ban

French authorities announced further restrictions for Saturday’s protests after the previous weekend’s violence. Marseille and Lyon face complete protest bans, while Paris museums are due to close and police deployments are being increased. A Paris court separately suspended the ban on a Thursday student march. That ruling concerns one march and leaves the wider weekend measures as separately announced decisions.

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Metal crowd-control barriers stand along a sidewalk beside stone buildings on an autumn French city street; the roadway remains open beneath a French flag.

Weekend restrictions expand

French authorities announced further restrictions on weekend demonstrations, including a complete protest ban in Lyon.[1], [2]

The measures concern Saturday, October 24, following the cost-of-living protests and violence of October 17. Marseille and Lyon are to face total bans on demonstrations. Marseille’s public transport is also to stop on Saturday. In Paris, the Louvre, Orsay and Picasso museums are scheduled to close that day. Authorities announced the restrictions as preparations continued for another weekend of protests. Restrictions also cover parts of Paris, Lille and Grenoble. Earlier curfews form the background to the new measures. The measures differ by city, with a complete ban in some places and alternative routes for approved marches elsewhere.[1]

Macron asks prefects to change march routes

President Emmanuel Macron met intelligence officials and ministers on Thursday before saying his general recommendation was that demonstrations should not take place. He asked prefects to propose alternative routes to union organisations. Where possible, he wanted demonstrations organised by other groups to be banned. Interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger announced that police deployments would rise by 20 per cent compared with the previous weekend. Macron attributed the unrest to far-left groups; that is the president’s political assessment. The announced increase concerns police preparations for the coming demonstrations, following the previous weekend’s violence.[1]

Paris court suspends one Thursday march ban

The Paris administrative court separately suspended an order banning a student march on Thursday. The march was organised by Interfac Île-de-France, a group bringing together students from university general assemblies in the Paris region. Its planned route ran from the Pitié-Salpêtrière area of Paris to Place de la Bastille. The police prefecture had cited violence at earlier demonstrations and risks to people and property when prohibiting it. At the end of the urgent hearing, the judge announced the suspension without explaining the detailed reasoning. The decision concerns this specific Thursday march. It does not remove the different measures announced in other cities for Saturday.[1]

References

  1. News sourceBBC NewsFrance restricts weekend protests; Paris court suspends one march ban↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceThe ConnexionFrance prepares protest security operation as Lyon bans demonstrations↩
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