France on alert as Halloween protests raise risk of violence

France on Saturday braced for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, as shops boarded up and authorities scrambled to prevent a repeat of the street violence that swept the country two weeks ago.

The demonstrations come in a febrile political climate, with presidential elections less than six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls.

President Emmanuel Macron has said it was “not normal” for France to be in such “turmoil” so close to a presidential election.

Around 70,000 security personnel were deployed on Saturday, as authorities sought to avert a repeat of the October 17 unrest.

The Paris police prefecture authorised the day’s march on the outskirts of the French capital, routing protesters through a working-class residential district lined with social housing.

On Boulevard Davout, the starting point of the march in eastern Paris, some shopkeepers were barricading their businesses, while others chose to remain open in what they called a show of solidarity.

– ‘Firm and calm determination’ –

Wael Boubaker, a cafe employee, covered a storefront with plywood panels. Around him, the first demonstrators were arriving with banners, while police vans took up positions as a helicopter hovered overhead.

“Everyone is staying home. No one is going to come and buy anything,” lamented Boubaker.

Hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon said he would join the authorised march and accused Macron’s government of “taking an increasingly authoritarian turn”.

“We will demonstrate our firm, calm and disciplined determination to ensure that the fundamental rights of a free people are respected,” he said on X.

An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Friday that they had prepared for street violence on a scale “comparable” to the unrest two weeks ago, when images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world.

The protest movement, bringing together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and high school and university students, initially focused on the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions.

Following a security clampdown and serious injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection of civil liberties and the right to protest.

Similar youth-led demonstrations have been seen across Europe in recent weeks, with marches also planned on Saturday in Germany.

– ‘Fully mobilised’ –

With the eurozone’s second-largest economy on the brink of recession and under pressure to rein in its debt, the government has limited scope to appease protesters through additional spending.

“Law enforcement officers remain fully mobilised to ensure the safety of everyone,” the Paris prefecture said on X on Saturday.

A police source has pointed to “considerable nervousness” among the authorities.

Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France’s chamber of commerce, said business owners were worried.

“Shopkeepers can’t wait for Saturday to be over,” Di Crescenzo told broadcaster France Inter.

The interior minister has warned of a “very high risk of public disorder”, saying demonstrations would be allowed, but not in city centres.

– ‘Revolution’ –

Nunez said authorities had detected social media calls for Halloween gatherings on Saturday evening urging protesters to spark a “revolution”.

Some posts on social media called on people to dress up and gather for a “night of darkness”.

Nunez warned that protesters would not be allowed to wear masks concealing their faces.

On Friday, customers crowded into a costume shop in Paris, but manager Didier Jarsale said it was not his job to “ask every customer what they intend to do with what they buy”.

“We’re not here to act as police officers,” he said.

Authorities have acknowledged security and intelligence failures that helped pave the way for the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism that erupted on October 17.

Since then, they have moved to reassert control by restricting demonstrations and imposing curfews in several cities.

A night-time curfew was to be imposed in the central-east Republique and central Chatelet-Les Halles neighbourhoods of Paris from 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) to 6:00 am (0500 GMT) on Saturday and Sunday.