---
title: "France Deploys 70,000 Security Forces for Halloween: Third Week of Protests and Record Retail Losses"
description: "France is deploying about 70,000 police and gendarmes on October 31 for protests coinciding with Halloween. The Paris route was changed at the last minute, and the Chamber of Commerce estimates retail losses at over 1 billion euros."
date: 2026-10-31T13:36:53.292Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/france-70000-police-halloween-protests
tags: [france-protests, halloween, paris, police, yellow-vests, retail-losses]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# France Deploys 70,000 Security Forces for Halloween: Third Week of Protests and Record Retail Losses

![Storefronts in Paris boarded up with plywood amid protests and the Arc de Triomphe](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/31/frantsiya-70000-politsiikh-na-hellowin-protesty/frantsiya-70000-politsiikh-na-hellowin-protesty-1.webp)

## Key Points

- France is deploying around 70,000 security forces for protests on October 31 coinciding with Halloween
- The Paris march route was moved at the last minute to a peripheral eastern line
- About 40 metro stations are closed, and a nighttime movement regime has been introduced in several districts
- The French Chamber of Commerce estimates retail losses at over 1 billion euros

On the night of October 31, 2026, France is deploying approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes onto the streets—the largest deployment of law enforcement forces during the entire wave of nationwide protests, which are now entering their third consecutive weekend and coinciding with Halloween. This was announced by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who assessed the threat level to public order as “very high” and confirmed that “all forces are mobilized to ensure the most decisive response to any acts of hooliganism,” as reported by Reuters.

### Halloween Masks and the Concealment Ban

The authorities are paying particular attention to the risk that provocateurs might use Halloween masks to conceal their identities. According to Nuñez, the police have been granted the authority to ban face coverings in the event of a threat to public order—a measure that was previously applied selectively in France and could now be extended nationwide within a single evening. According to security officials, this is precisely the factor that makes the current weekend the most unpredictable of the entire protest period.

### Paris March Route Changed at the Last Minute

In Paris, the trajectory of the main march was altered mere hours before it started. On the morning of October 31, the country's highest administrative court overturned the permit for the column to move from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation in the center of the capital. The reason was an appeal by the police prefecture, which cited the risk of mass riots. As a result, demonstrators were assigned a peripheral eastern route—from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton. Simultaneously, about 40 Paris metro stations are closed or operating with boarding restrictions, and a nighttime curfew has been introduced in several districts.

### From Student Protests to Yellow Vests

The unrest itself began in late September with actions by schoolchildren and students unhappy with the state of educational institutions, overcrowded classrooms, and what they consider an unfair university admissions system. Gradually, trade unions and participants of the Yellow Vests—a movement that emerged in 2018 in protest against the rising cost of living and fuel policies—joined the movement. The protesters' demands have expanded to general issues of quality of life and the standard of public services, turning local student protests into a nationwide crisis.

### Budgetary Context and the Blow to Retail

The protests are unfolding against the backdrop of Emmanuel Macron's government preparing to discuss the 2027 budget: public debt is approaching 120% of GDP, borrowing costs are rising, and Paris is forced to tightly control spending amid persisting social inequality. The economic consequences are already tangible: shops in Paris and other cities are fortifying their storefronts with boards and plywood, and according to Alain Di Crescenzo, president of the French Chamber of Commerce, “trade in central districts is practically paralyzed.” The Chamber estimates the losses of retail chains since the beginning of the unrest at more than 1 billion euros (about 1.1 billion US dollars).

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Франция направляет 70 000 полицейских для предотвращения возможных беспорядков во время Хэллоуина.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/phap-huy-dong-70-000-canh-sat-doi-pho-nguy-co-bao-loan-dip-halloween) - Confirmed: deployment of ~70,000 security forces, Laurent Nuñez's statement on a 'very high' threat level, change of the Paris route (Porte de Bagnolet — Porte de Charenton), closure of ~40 metro stations, retail loss estimates of >1 billion euros by the French Chamber of Commerce (A. Di Crescenzo), quotes via Reuters.

## FAQ

### How many security forces is France deploying on October 31?

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes.

### Why did the protests coincide with Halloween and why is it dangerous?

Authorities fear that provocateurs will use Halloween masks to hide their identities, so police are ready to impose a face-covering ban.

### Has the march route in Paris changed?

Yes, on the morning of October 31, the highest administrative court canceled the Bastille-Nation route and mandated the peripheral line from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton.

### What are the economic consequences of the protests?

The French Chamber of Commerce estimates retail chain losses at over 1 billion euros; trade in central districts, according to its president, is practically paralyzed.