Paris restricts student march route

Paris authorities moved the route for Saturday's student demonstration to a single boulevard on the city's southeastern edge. The change forced marchers to travel from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes along the Boulevards des Marechaux. This decision came after police banned the previously negotiated central path between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation. Local officials stated that this was the only permitted path for the event. They also prohibited protests organized by groups other than unions.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ordered a 20 percent increase in police staffing compared to the previous weekend. More than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide for the second wave of mass demonstrations. The government aimed to avoid a repeat of the events on October 17, which saw widespread looting and clashes. The elite RAID unit supported other police operations rather than directly handling crowds. By early Saturday afternoon, police reported arresting at least 135 people and seizing various weapons.

The last-minute route change frustrated participants who had planned for a central march. Emma, a protester and podcaster, described the move as a government tactic to drain energy from the movement. Monica, a retired public education employee, said the restriction made the movement appear invisible. Both protesters spoke without giving their last names. Marchers included students, teachers, ecologists, nurses, and union representatives who chanted slogans and danced. Some groups called for President Emmanuel Macron to resign. One crowd shouted about billionaires and preparing a revolution, while another chanted that they were all anti-fascists.

Businesses in central Paris prepared for the demonstration by shuttering storefronts. Shop windows were covered with protective panels, and some retailers hired private security firms. At least 24 metro stations closed at the request of the police prefecture. The Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay closed for the day to protect their collections. Art Basel Paris cancelled its weekend programme. In other cities, protests were banned in the downtown areas of Montpellier, Rouen, and Nice. A union march in Marseille was authorized under strict conditions, while police in Lyon fired tear gas to disperse about 150 demonstrators.

The unrest began in mid-September when high school students blockaded their schools. The students cited dilapidated buildings, teacher shortages, and an unfair university admission system. On Friday, Macron met with student representatives for the first time since the protests started. He promised more teachers and a deep overhaul of the Parcoursup admission platform. Students said they would continue mobilizing until the government presented concrete actions. More than half a million people took to the streets during the first major protest on October 17.

The political tension is high with a presidential election due in about six months. Macron is barred from a third consecutive term and must leave office in 2027. Marine Le Pen leads recent polls by a wide margin. Her National Rally held a party congress in Orleans to mark the start of its campaign. Thousands of protesters shouted anti-fascist slogans outside the venue. Authorities expected between 20,000 and 30,000 people to join a counter-demonstration in the city.