Paris Police Ban Central Gatherings After Cost-of-Living Riots

The Paris Police Prefecture banned all street gatherings in central Paris on Thursday, October 22, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The measure follows riots and looting sparked by cost-of-living protests on October 17. The ban encompasses the Champs-Élysées, the Élysée Palace, the National Assembly, the Senate, and six primary railway stations.

Overnight curfews from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. remain in effect for the Place de la République and Les Halles districts. Similar curfews have been implemented in Lille, Nice, Marseille, and Lyon, with some restrictions applying specifically to minors. In response to the unrest, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to meet with the mayors of Paris, Marseille, and Lyon on Thursday.

The student coordination group Interfac IDF is legally challenging the ban to protect a planned march from Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital to Place de la Bastille. Transport disruptions are expected Thursday morning, as several metro stations, including Bastille and Place d’Italie, will bypass stops.