Storefronts close as police in Paris fire tear gas and water cannons on protesters

24 October 2026 at 20:06

A multipurpose intervention vehicle in front of the National Assembly building in Paris. — France faced another day of protests, some of which turned violent on Saturday.
NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP via Getty Images

France and other countries across Europe are weathering another weekend of protests.
In Paris, major tourist landmarks and storefronts shuttered for the day.
The French interior ministry upped its police presence and deployed 70,000 personnel to the streets.

As France grapples with another weekend of cost-of-living protests, some of its most famous streets and landmarks are boarded up.

On Saturday, protesters took to the streets in major cities across France, including Paris and Marseille.

Though police in riot gear deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrations, the looting and rioting seen during last week's protests did not materialize.

In a statement, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that as of 7:30 p.m. local time, authorities had made about 1,000 arrests.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in France on Saturday.

Last weekend, student-led cost-of-living protests devolved in some places into violent riots and looting.

This weekend, the interior ministry increased its police presence, deploying some 70,000 officers across the country on Saturday. The protests drew support from various groups and organizations, including the gilets jaunes, or yellow vests.

On Saturday morning, military officers and a multipurpose intervention vehicle could be seen positioned outside Paris' National Assembly building.

Police deploy water cannons, tear gas in Marseille

Protesters hold French national flags as they confront French Republican Security Corps (CRS - Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) officers during a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Marseille, southeastern France on October 24, 2026 as part of a nationwide call for mobilisation bringing together former members of the Yellow Vest movement, labor unions, high school and university students. Protests by high school students over learning conditions sparked a movement that has since spread nationwide, fuelled by broader anger over the rising cost of living. About 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on October 24, 2026, Interior Minister said at a news conference, warning that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP via Getty Images) — tktk
Thibaud MORITZ / AFP via Getty Images

In Marseille, police deployed tear gas and water cannons to break up protests. Videos from the scene showed lines of police charging protesters.

Paris gets violent

TOPSHOT - A protester kicks a tear gas canister towards Police during a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Paris on October 24, 2026 as part of a nationwide call for mobilisation bringing together former members of the Yellow Vest movement, labor unions, high school and university students. Protests by high school students over learning conditions sparked a movement that has since spread nationwide, fuelled by broader anger over the rising cost of living. About 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on October 24, 2026, Interior Minister said at a news conference, warning that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media. (Photo by Sameer AL-DOUMY / AFP via Getty Images) — Protesters kick tear gas cannisters in Paris on Saturday
Sameer AL-DOUMY / AFP via Getty Images

In the French capital on Saturday, thousands of officers largely prevented looting by keeping protesters to a predetermined parade route.

Videos showed demonstrations descending into melees as officers attempted to disperse crowds with tear gas and batons.

Shops on Paris' iconic Champs-Élysées were boarded up.

Metal scaffolding outside the Dior store — PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 23: Shops on the Champs-Elysees are barricading themselves in ahead of the planned protests in Paris, France on October 23, 2026. The authorities plan to deploy a large number of police officers following last weekâs riots and looting. (Photo by Luc Auffret/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Luc Auffret/Anadolu via Getty Images

Luxury stores including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Moncler all have stores on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Some 1,500 businesses were targeted in last weekend's vandalism, said Alexandre Bompard, the CEO of Carrefour, one of France's largest supermarket chains.

French business leaders widely condemned the looting that happened on October 17.

Wooden boards in front of the Levi's shop windows — PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 23: Shops on the Champs-Elysees are barricading themselves in ahead of the planned protests in Paris, France on October 23, 2026. The authorities plan to deploy a large number of police officers following last weekâs riots and looting. (Photo by Luc Auffret/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Luc Auffret/Anadolu via Getty Images

Business leaders, including Thierry Guibert, CEO of Lacoste, and Nicolas Houzé, executive chairman of Galeries Lafayette, all spoke out in the aftermath of last weekend's damage.

"We cannot allow violence to destroy what generations have put so much energy into building," Guibert wrote on X.

In central Paris, some shop owners boarded up their businesses as a precautionary measure.

Men board up a store in France as a woman looks on — PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 24: Commercial establishments and luxury retail boutiques in central Paris are seen securing their storefronts with wooden protective panels on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Shop owners took precautionary measures and temporarily closed their businesses ahead of the demonstrations planned across the country. (Photo by Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images

Among the areas targeted in last weekend's violence in Paris were the Marais shopping district and the Place de la République.

Speaking to Business Insider's correspondent, Nathan Rennolds, last weekend, one shopkeeper in Paris said looters had "taken everything."

Major Paris tourist attractions, including the Louvre, have closed.

A do not enter sign and a barricade in front of the glass pyramid of the Louvre — Security personnel stand guard in front of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, Oct. 19, 2026. In Paris, the entrance to the Louvre Museum was blocked by student protesters on Monday morning, French daily Le Parisien reported, citing the museum's management and two trade unions. According to the trade union General Confederation of Labour, the museum would remain closed at least until noon. (Photo by Wu Huiwo/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Wu Huiwo/Xinhua via Getty Images

In a notice on its website, the Louvre says the museum would be closed on Saturday and all reservations would be reimbursed. The Louvre closed its doors earlier this week after student protests blocked the entrances.

The Grand Palais and Musée d'Orsay are also closed for the day.

In an update issued on Thursday, the US Embassy in France warned Americans to avoid demonstrations and said curfews across the country, including in some Paris neighborhoods, might continue. It also advised Americans in Paris for the NFL game on Sunday, October 25, to exercise caution.

Protests turned out across Europe on Saturday.

Two men carry a large piece of plywood down a French street — NANCY, FRANCE - OCTOBER 23: Workers install protective wooden boards and plywood panels over shopfronts and commercial venues across downtown Nancy, France, on October 23, 2026. Local business owners and municipal authorities reinforced physical security measures ahead of large-scale public demonstrations planned for October 24, seeking to prevent vandalism and structural damage along major commercial corridors. (Photo by Muhammed Said Tako/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Muhammed Said Tako/Anadolu via Getty Images

Protests are also expected in countries including Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Albania. Police in Tirana, Albania's capital, deployed tear gas against anti-government student protesters on Saturday.

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