France to deploy military forces for weekend protests after cost-of-living unrest

Interior minister says Operation Sentinelle troops will free up police for public order missions

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

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France will mount a 'massive' security operation involving military forces for expected protests this weekend, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday, after cost-of-living demonstrations turned violent across the country. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that soldiers from Operation Sentinelle would be deployed to replace police on static guard duties, freeing up officers for crowd control.

Speaking to parliament, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the security operation would be "massive" for further expected protests on Saturday. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez detailed the plan, saying military forces from Operation Sentinelle, a 10,000-soldier anti-terrorism deployment launched in January 2015, would be used to replace internal security forces on static guarding duties. This would "free up police officers and gendarmes to carry out public-order missions," Nuñez said. Sentinelle troops are usually stationed outside sensitive sites such as places of worship, schools, tourist locations, railway stations and airports, and have been deployed previously at events like the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Nuñez said the aim on Saturday was for security forces to operate with increased "responsiveness and mobility" to handle "scattered" and "extremely mobile" groups. He said he was also "considering the possibility of banning demonstrations that have not been declared and that could lead to public disorder." Even demonstrations declared to the prefecture could be affected if the organiser or security team did not give reason to believe the demonstration would remain peaceful. For demonstrations not posing a public order risk, Nuñez said it was "essential to prioritise routes away from public buildings and high streets" and to step up intelligence-gathering to identify participants, "particularly the most radical ones."

The minister promised "resolve," adding: "We will be there."

Analysis

Why This Matters

The deployment of military forces for domestic protests is a significant escalation in the French government's response to civil unrest.
The cost-of-living protests reflect widespread economic discontent that could have broader political implications for President Macron's government.
The potential banning of undeclared demonstrations could restrict protest rights and spark further tensions.

Background

The cost-of-living protests erupted over the weekend in France, driven by rising prices and economic pressures. The government's decision to use Operation Sentinelle, an anti-terrorism military force created in 2015 after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, for public order duties is a departure from its usual role. French authorities have previously used large-scale security operations during major events like the Paris 2024 Olympics, but using troops for protest management is less common.

Key Perspectives

Government: The interior ministry argues the military deployment is necessary to free up police for targeted crowd control and to maintain public order. Officials stress they will only restrict demonstrations that risk violence, while protecting peaceful protests. Protesters: Demonstrators are frustrated by rising living costs and may see the heavy security response as an overreach or an attempt to suppress legitimate grievances. Critics and civil liberties groups: Any move to ban undeclared demonstrations or route protests away from public buildings raises concerns about freedom of assembly and the right to protest.

What to Watch

Whether Saturday's protests materialise and how large and violent they become.
Whether the government follows through on banning undeclared or at-risk demonstrations.
The political fallout if security forces are seen as using excessive force or if protests spiral further.

Sources

France vows 'massive' security operation involving military forces for expected weekend protests · Euronews

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

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SupportedFrance will deploy military forces for expected weekend protests following cost-of-living demonstrations that turned violent across the country.Euronews: “French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that a "massive" security operation would be in place during further expected protests on Saturday after cost-of-living demonstrations turned violent across France over the weekend.”
SupportedInterior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Operation Sentinelle troops would free up police for public-order missions.Euronews: “Some military forces from Operation Sentinelle will be deployed to free up police and gendarmes for the expected demonstrations, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.”
Not in the sourcesPrime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in parliament that the security operation would be “massive.”Euronews: “Speaking to parliament on Tuesday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez also announced plans to deploy military forces from Operation Sentinelle”
SupportedLecornu said on Tuesday a “massive” security operation would be in place for further expected protests on Saturday.Euronews: “French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that a "massive" security operation would be in place during further expected protests on Saturday”
Partly supportedNuñez said Sentinelle forces would replace police on static guard duties.Euronews: “Nuñez said their mission would be "to replace internal security forces mainly on static guarding duties"”
SupportedNuñez said the deployment would “free up police officers and gendarmes to carry out public-order missions.”Euronews: “"free up police officers and gendarmes to carry out public-order missions."”
SupportedOperation Sentinelle was launched in January 2015 and has 10,000 soldiers deployed across France.Euronews: “Operation Sentinelle, launched in January 2015, has 10,000 soldiers deployed across France to defend against potential terrorist attacks.”
SupportedSentinelle troops are usually stationed outside sensitive sites and have previously deployed at events including the Paris 2024 Olympics.Euronews: “Troops are usually stationed outside sites deemed sensitive, such as places of worship, schools, tourist locations, railway stations and airports. Sentinelle soldiers have previously deployed at events such as the Paris 2024 Olympics and the Paralympic Games.”
SupportedNuñez said security forces should have increased “responsiveness and mobility” to deal with “scattered” and “extremely mobile” groups.Euronews: “Nuñez added that the aim on Saturday would be for security forces to operate with increased "responsiveness and mobility" in order to deal with "scattered" and "extremely mobile" groups.”
SupportedNuñez said he was considering banning undeclared demonstrations that could lead to public disorder.Euronews: “The interior minister said he was also "considering the possibility of banning demonstrations that have not been declared and that could lead to public disorder."”
Partly supportedFor demonstrations not posing a public-order risk, Nuñez called for routes away from public buildings and high streets and more intelligence-gathering to identify participants, particularly the most radical ones.Euronews: “With regard to demonstrations that do not pose a risk to public order, Nuñez said it was "essential to prioritise routes away from public buildings and high streets," as well as to "step up intelligence-gathering efforts in order to identify as accurately as possible the number of participants, particularly the most radical ones”
SupportedNuñez promised “resolve,” adding, “We will be there.”Euronews: “The minister also promised to show "resolve," adding: "We will be there."”