The government's new rule allows only union-led marches. On the eve of the nationwide protests of Saturday, 24 October 2026, that rule ran into trouble. Late on Friday, 23 October, the Paris police prefecture cancelled the march route it had agreed with the unions only the day before. The unions responded with an emergency legal challenge.
The Paris route reversed
On Thursday, 22 October, the police prefecture approved the route proposed by the CGT. The march was to leave Place de la Bastille at 2 p.m. and end at Place de la Nation. FO, the CFDT, the CGT and the FSU signed the agreed route, along with the main high school and university student groups.
On Friday evening, the prefecture issued an order banning the route negotiated the day before. In its place, it offered a route from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, on the edge of the capital, authorised from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The prefecture cited the violence seen the previous weekend and at the end of recent protests, especially on 13 October. It said this called for great caution when choosing routes.
The unions refused the new route. Karl Ghazi, co-general secretary of the CGT in Paris, told AFP the new route was "impossible to secure". In a joint statement, the organisations said they would go "to Bastille" as planned. The student federation Fage called the decision an "unacceptable last-minute U-turn". The Île-de-France unions said they would file an urgent appeal (référé) with the Paris administrative court on the morning of Saturday, 24 October. No ruling had been reported by the morning of 24 October.
Other bans in Paris
The yellow vests' preferred route from Bastille to Opéra has been banned by prefectural order.
Apart from the CGT's declared march, all other protests in Paris are banned.
An order of 22 October bans three static rallies near the Élysée Palace planned for 23, 24 and 25 October. The rallies had been declared in the name of the "Syndicat des Gilets jaunes".
Under an order of 22 October, no one, adult or minor, may be in the Place de la République and Les Halles areas from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night.
At least 25 metro stations close from 9 a.m. on 24 October, including Tuileries and Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau.
Across the country
As of Friday, 23 October, the yellow vests' website listed 646 planned actions: 455 demonstrations, 85 roundabout protests, 32 at railway stations and 15 at toll booths. The national security operation is expected to involve 20% more police and gendarmes than on 17 October. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said "the threat level remains high", pointing to the "ultra-left" and "delinquency".
In Lille, protests are banned in the city centre. The unions say a march will take place outside the banned area, and the CGT has announced one leaving Place de la République at 2:30 p.m. The CGT has also asked its members to turn out to protect young protesters. It called on activists "to put on their red vests so that young people and workers can exercise their right to demonstrate".
What comes next
The yellow vest coordination group has also called a protest for Saturday, 31 October. That comes ahead of a nationwide union mobilization in November, starting with the strike called for Thursday, 5 November.
The government's new rule allows only union-led marches. On the eve of the nationwide protests of Saturday, 24 October 2026, that rule ran into trouble. Late on Friday, 23 October, the Paris police prefecture cancelled the march route it had agreed with the unions only the day before. The unions responded with an emergency legal challenge.
The Paris route reversed
On Thursday, 22 October, the police prefecture approved the route proposed by the CGT. The march was to leave Place de la Bastille at 2 p.m. and end at Place de la Nation. FO, the CFDT, the CGT and the FSU signed the agreed route, along with the main high school and university student groups.
On Friday evening, the prefecture issued an order banning the route negotiated the day before. In its place, it offered a route from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, on the edge of the capital, authorised from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The prefecture cited the violence seen the previous weekend and at the end of recent protests, especially on 13 October. It said this called for great caution when choosing routes.
The unions refused the new route. Karl Ghazi, co-general secretary of the CGT in Paris, told AFP the new route was "impossible to secure". In a joint statement, the organisations said they would go "to Bastille" as planned. The student federation Fage called the decision an "unacceptable last-minute U-turn". The Île-de-France unions said they would file an urgent appeal (référé) with the Paris administrative court on the morning of Saturday, 24 October. No ruling had been reported by the morning of 24 October.
Other bans in Paris
Across the country
As of Friday, 23 October, the yellow vests' website listed 646 planned actions: 455 demonstrations, 85 roundabout protests, 32 at railway stations and 15 at toll booths. The national security operation is expected to involve 20% more police and gendarmes than on 17 October. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said "the threat level remains high", pointing to the "ultra-left" and "delinquency".
In Lille, protests are banned in the city centre. The unions say a march will take place outside the banned area, and the CGT has announced one leaving Place de la République at 2:30 p.m. The CGT has also asked its members to turn out to protect young protesters. It called on activists "to put on their red vests so that young people and workers can exercise their right to demonstrate".
What comes next
The yellow vest coordination group has also called a protest for Saturday, 31 October. That comes ahead of a nationwide union mobilization in November, starting with the strike called for Thursday, 5 November.
Sources