France is preparing for further nationwide protests on 24 October, a week after riots and damage in cities across the country. According to Euronews, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has announced plans to mobilise 70,000 police officers and gendarmes. In Paris, a last-minute change to the demonstration route has added to tensions.
Euronews reports that on the evening of 23 October, the Paris police prefecture changed the previously approved route between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation, citing the risk of renewed violence. The alternative route runs along outer boulevards in south-eastern Paris.
Organisers criticised the change and said they would stick to their original plan. Trade unions have taken legal action against the authorities’ decision. Euronews does not report an outcome to that challenge, leaving the final route of the demonstration unclear.
Plans for tighter checks and a major police deployment
The force announced by Nuñez is to be supported by specialist units, armoured vehicles and water cannon. The figure of 70,000 officers represents the planned mobilisation, rather than a confirmed count of police and gendarmes deployed at the demonstrations.
According to Euronews, the interior ministry has also instructed prefects — the central government’s local representatives — to strengthen checks at railway stations and on major transport routes. They have been asked to consider movement restrictions on people deemed to pose a serious threat to public order. These are possible measures, not confirmation that such restrictions have been widely imposed.
The preparations follow riots on 17 October. Figures from the authorities, cited by Euronews, put the number of shops damaged or looted across France at more than 3,000.
Damage in Limoges and demands for education reforms
In Limoges, the historic town hall was badly damaged. A separate Euronews video shows extensive damage inside the building after a fire during the riots on 17 October. Suspected arson is under investigation; the report does not identify those responsible.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has pledged state support for reconstruction following the damage in Limoges and promised to put forward education proposals. Student organisations are demanding a €10 billion education reform plan and, according to Euronews, intend to continue demonstrating until concrete reforms are announced. The government’s pledges do not mean those changes have been adopted or implemented.
As preparations continue, both the route of the Paris march and whether the demonstrations will pass peacefully remain open questions. The security measures announced so far are preparations, not an account of what happened at the protests on 24 October.
