France Protests: Macron Moves Marches Out of City Centres as 31 October Demos Loom

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that future demonstrations in France will be routed away from city centres, after the violence and looting that swept the country on 17 October. Speaking during a visit to Marseille on Monday 26 October, Macron warned that the next nationwide demonstrations, planned for Saturday 31 October, are once again considered high-risk.
The new approach follows the pattern used in Paris on 24 October, when protesters were required to march on the outskirts of the capital rather than through its centre. Macron said last Saturday demonstrations passed without major incidents, but around 80 businesses were still affected across France. Visiting Marseille City Hall, which was stormed and vandalised on 17 October, he admitted authorities had failed to anticipate the scale of the violence, blaming the early mobilisation of far-left activists alongside criminal looting, and saying social media helped draw crowds to flashpoints.
The movement began in mid-September with secondary school students protesting over school conditions, and has since widened into anger over the cost of living and public services. The government has pledged 4 billion euros in school renovation loans, and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has met student representatives ahead of further education announcements. With a national day of strikes and protests also scheduled for 5 November, Macron said he hopes France can avoid a repeat of the weekly Yellow Vests demonstrations.
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