Paris bans protests around landmarks as France braces for another weekend of unrest

Macron appears to swipe at Trump as Yellow Vests seek permit for Saturday march

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

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Paris police have banned protests around the Elysée palace, parliament and major tourist sites on Thursday, as France braced for another weekend of demonstrations after student and Yellow Vest rallies degenerated into some of the worst street unrest in years.

The ban runs from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (0600 to 1800 GMT) on Thursday and covers key landmarks including the Elysée presidential palace, both houses of parliament, the Louvre museum and the Champs-Elysées.

It was announced on Wednesday, after President Emmanuel Macron appeared to take a swipe at his US counterpart Donald Trump for exploiting the riots for political advantage in the US midterm election battle.

A separate student protest scheduled for Thursday was also banned, with a police source telling AFP the organiser had shown an "inability to prevent violence and vandalism". Police imposed a new curfew in parts of Paris on Wednesday night.

The Yellow Vests movement has formally requested a permit to march on Saturday, and Macron is due to meet French intelligence services on Thursday ahead of the weekend demonstrations. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will on Thursday meet the mayors of the cities worst hit by the unrest, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon, as well as union representatives.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Paris has seen some of the worst street unrest in years, with student and Yellow Vest demonstrations turning violent and prompting a curfew.
The bans signal that the authorities expect further confrontation over the weekend, with the Yellow Vests seeking a permit to march on Saturday.
The unrest has spilled into international politics, with Macron appearing to accuse Trump of exploiting the riots during the US midterm campaign.

Background

The Yellow Vests movement emerged several years ago over fuel taxes and economic inequality, widening into broader demonstrations against the government. The current wave involves high school students alongside the Yellow Vests, and weekend demonstrations in Paris and other cities turned violent. That prompted the authorities to restrict protests around key landmarks and impose a curfew in parts of Paris on Wednesday night.

Key Perspectives

[The authorities]: Paris police have banned protests at the Elysée palace, parliament, the Louvre and the Champs-Elysées, and barred a Thursday student rally, citing the organiser's "inability to prevent violence and vandalism". The government is meeting mayors, union representatives and intelligence services ahead of the weekend.

[The protest movements]: High school students and the Yellow Vests continue to mobilise. The Yellow Vests have formally requested a permit to march on Saturday, and organisers had planned another student protest before it was banned.

[The political dimension]: Macron appeared to accuse Trump of using the riots for political gain in the US midterm campaign, drawing the domestic unrest into an international dispute.

What to Watch

Whether police grant the Yellow Vests a permit for Saturday's march and how the weekend demonstrations unfold.
The outcome of Macron's meeting with intelligence services and whether further security measures follow.
Whether the Macron-Trump exchange escalates as the US midterm campaign continues.

Sources

Live: Paris bans protests after violent unrest as Macron takes swipe at Trump · France 24 Europe

Checked

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

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SupportedParis banned protests around landmarks on Thursday.France 24 Europe: “Police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday ... The Paris ban will last from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (0600 to 1800 GMT) and apply to key landmarks in the French capital”
SupportedFrance was bracing for another weekend of unrest.France 24 Europe: “France is bracing for yet another weekend of protests by high school students and the "Yellow Vest" movement.”
SupportedMacron appeared to swipe at Trump over his use of the riots for political advantage in the US midterm election battle.France 24 Europe: “Wednesday's announcement came after President Emmanuel Macron took an apparent swipe at his US counterpart Donald Trump for exploiting the riots for political advantage in the US midterm election battle.”
SupportedThe Yellow Vests movement formally requested a permit to march on Saturday.France 24 Europe: “Yellow Vests protesters formally request permit to march on Saturday”
Partly supportedStudent and Yellow Vest rallies degenerated into some of the worst street unrest in years.France 24 Europe: “Police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday, as France braced for more demonstrations just days after student and other rallies degenerated into some of the worst street unrest in years.”
SupportedThe ban runs from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (0600 to 1800 GMT) on Thursday.France 24 Europe: “The Paris ban will last from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (0600 to 1800 GMT)”
SupportedThe ban covers the Elysée, both houses of parliament, the Louvre and the Champs-Elysées.France 24 Europe: “apply to key landmarks in the French capital, including the Elysee presidential palace, both houses of parliament, as well as tourist havens such as the Louvre museum and the Champs-Elysees.”
SupportedThe ban was announced Wednesday after Macron’s apparent swipe at Trump.France 24 Europe: “Wednesday's announcement came after President Emmanuel Macron took an apparent swipe at his US counterpart Donald Trump for exploiting the riots for political advantage in the US midterm election battle.”
SupportedA student protest scheduled for Thursday was banned after its organiser showed an “inability to prevent violence and vandalism,” according to a police source who spoke to AFP.France 24 Europe: “Paris police have banned a student protest scheduled for Thursday, citing the organiser’s “inability to prevent violence and vandalism”, a police source told AFP.”
Partly supportedPolice imposed a new curfew in parts of Paris on Wednesday night.France 24 Europe: “New curfew to be imposed in parts of Paris on Wednesday night, police say”
SupportedMacron was due to meet French intelligence services on Thursday ahead of the weekend demonstrations.France 24 Europe: “Macron says he will hold meeting with French intelligence services Thursday ahead of weekend protests”
Partly supportedLecornu would meet the mayors of the worst-hit cities, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon, as well as union representatives on Thursday.France 24 Europe: “French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will on Thursday meet with the mayors of some of the cities that were worst hit by the riots over the weekend, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon .”