French weekend protests to be limited to union demos only, says Macron

22 October 2026, 14: 02 BST. Updated 35 minutes ago.

Key points

• Nuñez remarked his teams had forecast 200, 000 demonstrators, a figure much lower than the 550, 000 estimated to have gathered.
• Gérald Darmanin remarked 2, 700 residents had been arrested throughout France and more than 1, 000 have appeared in court.
• Around 550, 000 individuals took part in demonstrations on 17 October to protest rising fuel costs and the cost of living.
• The unrest has come as Macron enters the final months of his presidency, with elections scheduled for 18 April and 1 May next year.
• After demonstrations nationwide turned violent last weekend, only authorised union protests will be allowed in French towns and cities on Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron has remarked.

Speaking as some cities including Lyon and Nice imposed complete bans, Macron remarked "illegitimate" protests would not be allowed but unions would be offered alternative routes so that businesses could be protected.

Major demonstrations against the high cost of living and school conditions were overshadowed last Saturday by riots and looting that saw business and historic buildings destroyed.

After the administration was accused of being blindsided by the scale of the unrest, interior Minister Jean-Didier Berger remarked police deployments would be climbed by 20% compared to last weekend.

France's justice minister remarked on Thursday that 217 residents had been jailed over last weekend's disorder after being convicted in fast-track trials, with that number projected to rise.

Half of those detained had no prior criminal record, he remarked, according to Le Figaro newspaper.

Macron met intelligence services and ministers on Thursday, to prepare for the next national day of protests on Saturday.

"The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations. When they are trade union organisations, will have alternative routes proposed by the prefects, " the French president confirmed, those who want to continue to demonstrate. "When they're not union organisations, wherever possible, they'll be banned."

He attacked what he called "political and even seditious acts organised by far-left groups that aim to bring down the Republic".

Curfews were imposed in a number of cities in the aftermath of the weekend rioting, and Macron stated the administration wanted a return to calm.

For context, the gilets jaunes (yellow-vest) movement was behind plenty of of last weekend's protests and Paris authorities have stated a number of of their proposed marches have been banned.

In Lyon, France's third-biggest city, regional authorities have imposed a blanket ban on demonstrations.

"In light of the mobilisation that is circulating and in view of the events of 17 October, the prefect has decided to prohibit by decree any demonstration in the city of Lyon this Saturday, " the Rhône prefecture remarked in an official note.

Similar announcements have been created in Toulon on the south coast, the centre of Rouen in the north-west, and Grenoble in the east.

Partial curfews variously restricting the movement of young individuals and gatherings have been in place this week in cities including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon in the south as well as Lille and other towns in the north.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised a "massive" deployment of police officers this week to accord with any unrest this weekend, but some officers have informed French media they are not trained to accord with substantial crowds.

Around 550, 000 individuals took part in demonstrations on 17 October to protest rising fuel costs and the cost of living. It have escalated after weeks of student protests.

Marches were largely peaceful and took place in a number of major French cities, including Paris, backed by unions, gilets jaunes and student groups. But they were marred by scenes of violence, looting and destruction.

Lyon's tourism office was set on fire by demonstrators during last weekend's protests.

Mayor Grégory Doucet remarked the burning of the office, housed in a 19th-Century building, was "a tragedy".

In the city of Limoges, the clock tower and parts of the roof of the ornate city hall were engulfed in flames before collapsing on Saturday.

After a man in his 30s was detained on suspicion of the attempted murder of police officers who were in the city hall when the fire began, a second suspect aged 66 was arrested on Thursday.

When groups of rioters took over parts of the city, wreaking havoc, the iconic Place de la République was vandalised in the capital, Paris.

After the unrest, France's interior minister Laurent Nuñez tendered his resignation. It was rejected by President Macron.

In practice, the Élysée Palace asked him instead to look at how to create France's streets safer and bring rioters to justice.

Meanwhile, the unrest has come as Macron enters the final months of his presidency, with elections scheduled for 18 April and 1 May next year.

Taken together, the developments around french weekend protests to be limited to union demos only, says Macron point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.