Paris is locking down its landmarks. French police said on Wednesday that demonstrations would be banned across large parts of the capital on Thursday, October 22, as the government scrambles to stop last weekend's riots over soaring living costs from flaring up again. (This is a new development in France's unrest — read our earlier coverage of the troop deployment and the government's admission of failures.)
The ban runs from 8:00am to 8:00pm local time (0600 to 1800 GMT), according to AFP.
Paris Bans Thursday Protests: Where Gatherings Are Barred
The Paris police prefecture's order covers the city's most sensitive political and tourist corridors: the Elysee presidential palace, both chambers of parliament, the Louvre Museum and the Avenue des Champs-Elysees are all off-limits. The ban also extends to Place de la Bastille, Place de la Republique and the Chatelet-Les Halles shopping district — an area heavily targeted by looters over the weekend, AFP reported.
It is the latest in a string of emergency measures. Partial nighttime curfews were already imposed in parts of Paris and other cities on Monday and Tuesday nights, and police separately banned people from carrying petrol, gas canisters or fireworks through Thursday — after youths set fire to shops and public buildings and fired fireworks at police last weekend, wounding several officers.
The Weekend That Shook France
Last weekend's demonstrations began as student protests over school conditions and high prices, then exploded into what AFP called some of the worst street violence in recent years — masked youths clashing with police, looting shops and vandalising public buildings across Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities.
The government's own verdict has been blunt. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted authorities "lost control" and failed to anticipate the scale of the violence. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised a "massive" security deployment for demonstrations planned on Saturday, while President Emmanuel Macron said authorities would be "uncompromising" toward what he called "agitators from ultra-left fringe groups." Notably, Macron has not declared a state of emergency, which would let troops reinforce police lines.
2,500 Detained, 174 Jailed: The Legal Crackdown
The courts are now processing the fallout. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said roughly 2,500 people were taken into police custody nationwide during and after the unrest — 174 have been jailed and 917 are facing expedited prosecution.
The damage bill is still being counted. The government has announced interest-free loans for 3,000 shops damaged during the unrest, many of them looted — though shop owners say that is not enough, and the retail sector puts the damage in the hundreds of millions. An AFP tally found more than 1,000 of Paris's 40,000 rental bicycles were destroyed, many burned in makeshift barricades, while the union representing most food delivery riders has asked Uber Eats and Deliveroo to suspend deliveries to areas considered dangerous.
Macron Hits Back at Foreign Leaders Over Riot Commentary
The unrest has gone international. Speaking during a visit to Qatar, Macron appeared to accuse foreign leaders of exploiting France's riots for political gain, implying — without naming names — that Donald Trump and possibly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made "stupid comments" about the crisis, AFP reported.
The apparent swipe followed Trump's own remarks blaming the unrest on "migrants, jihadists, and communists," per Deutsche Welle, as the US president campaigns for the midterm elections. With a French presidential election due within months to choose Macron's successor, the crisis has become ammunition in other countries' politics too.
Key Takeaways
- Paris police banned protests in parts of the capital on Thursday, October 22, from 8am to 8pm (0600-1800 GMT), covering the Elysee, parliament, the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees, Bastille, Republique and Chatelet-Les Halles.
- The ban follows weekend riots over living costs that AFP called some of France's worst street violence in recent years; the government admits it "lost control."
- Roughly 2,500 people were detained nationwide; Justice Minister Darmanin said 174 have been jailed and 917 face prosecution.
- Nighttime curfews were imposed Monday and Tuesday; carrying petrol or fireworks is banned through Thursday; 3,000 damaged shops are being offered interest-free loans.
- Macron, visiting Qatar, implied unnamed foreign leaders made "stupid comments" exploiting the unrest — without naming Trump or Netanyahu directly, per AFP.
- Prime Minister Lecornu has promised a "massive" security deployment for fresh demonstrations planned on Saturday.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly are protests banned in Paris on Thursday?
The ban covers the Elysee presidential palace, both houses of parliament, the Louvre Museum and the Champs-Elysees, plus Place de la Bastille, Place de la Republique and the Chatelet-Les Halles shopping area. It runs from 8:00am to 8:00pm local time (0600 to 1800 GMT).
Why did France ban the protests?
Authorities are trying to pre-empt a repeat of last weekend's riots, when demonstrations over rising living costs and poor school conditions degenerated into looting, arson and clashes with police. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted the government had "lost control" of the situation.
How many people were arrested in the France riots?
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said roughly 2,500 people were taken into police custody nationwide during and after the unrest. Of those, 174 have been jailed and 917 are facing expedited prosecution, according to the minister.
What other security measures has France taken?
Partial nighttime curfews were imposed in parts of Paris and other cities on Monday and Tuesday nights. Police banned carrying petrol, gas canisters and fireworks through Thursday. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised a "massive" security deployment for demonstrations planned on Saturday, October 24.
What did Macron say about Trump and the riots?
Speaking in Qatar, Macron appeared to accuse foreign leaders of exploiting France's unrest, implying that Donald Trump and possibly Benjamin Netanyahu had made "stupid comments" about the crisis, AFP reported. He did not name either leader directly. Trump had blamed the unrest on "migrants, jihadists, and communists," per Deutsche Welle.
How bad was the damage from the weekend riots?
The full bill is still being counted, but the retail sector says it runs into the hundreds of millions. The government is offering interest-free loans to 3,000 damaged shops. More than 1,000 of Paris's 40,000 rental bikes were destroyed, per an AFP tally, and delivery-rider unions want food deliveries suspended in dangerous areas.
Why It Matters
France has not seen street violence on this scale in years — and the government's response is now the story. A sitting government admitting it "lost control," banning demonstrations at its own landmarks and promising a "massive" deployment for Saturday shows how seriously Paris takes the threat of a second weekend of riots.
What Happens Next
All eyes are on Saturday, October 24, when fresh demonstrations are planned nationwide. Lecornu's promised "massive" security deployment — elite police units mobilised, Operation Sentinelle soldiers guarding sensitive sites — will be the first real test of whether the bans, curfews and crackdown have restored order, or merely postponed the confrontation.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- AFP via Borneo Bulletin: Protests banned in parts of Paris as Macron swipes at Trump (October 22, 2026)
- AFP via Kuwait Times: France braces for more protests: Security measures at a glance (October 21, 2026)
- NDTV (syndicated feed): Protests banned in parts of Paris today: Police (October 22, 2026)
- Deutsche Welle via Webdunia: 'Unacceptable, Stupid Comments': Macron slams Trump as France imposes curfew in parts of Paris (October 22, 2026)
- IndiaTV News: France remains on edge as protests continue; Macron jibes at Trump (October 22, 2026)