70,000 Officers Deployed as Thousands Join France Protests on Halloween
Around 15,000 demonstrators joined nationwide rallies across France on Saturday, October 31, as cost-of-living demonstrations stretched into a third consecutive weekend under heavy police monitoring. French authorities deployed approximately 70,000 security personnel to manage crowds in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, and Nantes, seeking to prevent a recurrence of the violent unrest recorded two weeks prior.
Security Forces Make 27 Arrests as Student Groups Outline New Blockades
Law enforcement reported 27 arrests nationwide by 2:00 PM on Saturday, down sharply from the 217 arrests made during the previous weekend’s demonstrations. Union etudiante spokeswoman Sabrine Kharbach announced that student groups will launch new blockades at universities and high schools starting Tuesday, building toward joint demonstrations called by trade unions for Thursday, November 5.
The rallies follow broader European youth demonstrations against economic conditions and civil liberties restrictions, unfolding less than six months before the French presidential election.
