Saturday, October 24 Demonstrations in France: Only Union-Organized Protests Will Be Allowed

After meeting with intelligence services, Emmanuel Macron said demonstrations planned across France for Saturday, October 24, were generally discouraged. Prefects will offer alternative routes to trade unions, while protests organized by other groups will be banned wherever possible. The measure is intended to protect businesses and public buildings following the violence of October 17, which Macron blamed on organized far-left groups. A protest planned for Thursday in Paris, between Pitié-Salpêtrière and Bastille, has already been banned by prefectural order.