The demonstration in Paris on Saturday, October 24, 2026 now has a map showing the metro stations that will be closed. At the request of the Paris Police Prefecture, the RATP has announced that 24 stations will close from 9 a.m., from the Champs-Élysées (8th arrondissement) to the Latin Quarter (5th and 6th arrondissements), including the Daumesnil area (12th arrondissement). Service will also be partially suspended on lines 2, 6 and 12.
As for the march route, the Bastille–Nation route proposed by the Paris CGT has been approved by the Paris Police Prefecture. It is due to set off at 2 p.m. from Place de la Bastille, passing through Place Félix-Éboué before reaching Nation. The newspaper reports that the prefecture has announced a ban by decree on the Bastille–Opéra route sought by the Yellow Vests’ coordinating group.
A week after October 17, which saw very large crowds and widespread violence, the government is preparing a “massive” security operation. The broad outlines are known: Sentinelle troops will reinforce the deployment, elite units will be mobilized, marches deemed high-risk will be banned, and staffing will be 20% higher than on October 17, according to Minister Delegate Jean-Didier Berger.
This Thursday, Emmanuel Macron took an even tougher line. Demonstrations not called by unions will be banned wherever possible, and the head of state is urging people not to demonstrate at all over the coming days. He chaired a defense council on Friday morning before meeting student organizations at the Élysée that afternoon.
Here’s a look at what’s been decided, what remains up in the air and what could still change before Saturday. For the broader context, our article Act II this Saturday, October 24: what should we expect? covers the subject.
The list was released on Thursday evening. In its traffic information bulletin, the RATP says that, at the request of the Paris Police Prefecture and for security reasons, numerous stations will close from 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 24. Here are the details, line by line:
October 24 mobilization in Paris: More than 30 metro stations closed, 9 lines affected
The Yellow Vest movement is calling for a new day of protest and an “Act II” on October 24, 2026. As with previous demonstrations, RATP has announced the closure of numerous Paris Metro stations. So what should you expect? What disruption is anticipated on Paris public transport this Saturday? Here’s everything you need to know. [Read more]
At closed stations, trains pass through without stopping, and connections are unavailable. So plan to change trains elsewhere if your usual route takes you through Concorde, Odéon or Sèvres-Babylone.
On Line 2, the closure between Barbès-Rochechouart and Nation includes the existing closure between Barbès-Rochechouart and Père-Lachaise for renovation work. On Line 12, no trains will run between Madeleine and Notre-Dame-des-Champs. The stations will reopen with authorization from the Paris Police Prefecture; no timetable has been announced.
The map is surprising. Bastille, Reuilly-Diderot and Nation, along the route of the march, are not on the list at this stage. Instead, the closures form a protective perimeter around the Champs-Élysées and the Élysée Palace (8th arrondissement), the National Assembly and government ministries (7th), the Senate and the Latin Quarter (5th and 6th). Four stations south of Place de la Nation, the march’s endpoint in the 12th arrondissement, will also be closed.
This list may still change by Saturday morning, particularly after Friday’s defense council meeting. Before setting off, take a look at our Paris metro and RER traffic update, updated throughout the day.
The Paris Police Prefecture approved the union march route from Bastille to Nation around midday on Thursday, October 22. The newspaper reports that the prefecture is urging people who wish to demonstrate to join this march. The route is separate from the three stationary rallies near the Élysée Palace banned under order No. 2026-01415.
The Student Union is also calling for people to gather at Place de la Bastille from 2 p.m., as we reported. At the national level, the CGT had already called on its 600,000 members to join Saturday’s rallies peacefully.
Unions and yellow vest protesters are therefore expected to march together along this route. That leaves Interfac Île-de-France, which is listed on the Bastille–Opéra march notice. The student collective scored a legal victory on Thursday: Paris’s administrative court urgently suspended the order banning its march between Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital (13th arrondissement) and Bastille, AFP reports. The students were therefore able to march. As of this update, we had found no official guidance from Interfac for Saturday.
For Saturday, the rule is simple: apart from the Bastille–Nation march, called by the CGT and approved by the police prefecture, all other demonstrations are banned in Paris. A decree issued by the Paris Police Prefecture has already made that official. It specifically targets the Bastille–Opéra route proposed by the Yellow Vests and Interfac, and implements in Paris the line set out by Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, according to which only union marches may go ahead. In practical terms, joining an undeclared gathering on Saturday, even a stationary one, could result in a fine. So if you want to demonstrate, be at Bastille at 2 p.m., on the official route.
They will indeed be part of the official march. After initially refusing to sign off on the Bastille–Nation route, saying it had no mandate to do so, the Yellow Vests Coordination announced on Thursday that it would join the demonstration called by the CGT. It had already confirmed it would be at Place de la Bastille from noon on Saturday.
This alliance marks a change from October 17, when the large joint march organizers had called for never materialized. This time, unions and Yellow Vests will set off from the same point and follow the same route, approved by the police prefecture. The movement’s co-spokesperson, Azelma Sigaux, also announced on franceinfo that the coordinating group would meet at Bastille on Saturday in the early afternoon to decide what comes next for the movement.
Benjamin Ball, the movement’s coordinator and editor of the website mapping the actions, is also promising a major day of demonstrations, when “everyone will be out in the streets”: high school students, university students, trade unions, farmers, nurses and firefighters. Around 340 actions are listed across France on the mobilization map.
A legal issue is also weighing on the balance. In Paris, a demonstration must be notified at least three clear days before the date, meaning by Tuesday evening at the latest for a Saturday event, as a Paris criminal defense lawyer points out. Submitted on Wednesday, the yellow vests’ notification was already technically late.
By Order No. 2026-01415 of October 22, 2026, the Paris Police Prefecture has banned three stationary gatherings registered in the name of the Yellow Vests Union, planned for 35 Avenue Gabriel, near the Élysée Palace in the 8th arrondissement. The registered gatherings were scheduled for Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, from 6:30 a.m., and Sunday, October 25, from 4:30 p.m.
This order does not amount to a general ban on demonstrations in Paris during those three days. It applies only to the three gatherings declared near the Élysée. It does not cover the Bastille–Opéra or Bastille–Nation routes: their status must be distinguished from that of these static gatherings.
Elsewhere in France, authorities have sometimes taken an even tougher line. In Lyon, the Rhône prefecture has banned all demonstrations on Saturday. Marseille and Le Havre are following the same approach, either across the entire city or in the city center, depending on the case. In Bouches-du-Rhône, an order published Thursday evening bans gatherings and demonstrations over specific demands on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., franceinfo reports. This policy was set by Laurent Nuñez, who asked prefects to ban demonstrations over specific demands that could disrupt public order.
Emmanuel Macron confirmed this policy on Thursday, after a security council meeting at the Élysée Palace, according to Le Monde. Requests to hold demonstrations submitted by organizers he considers to have no legitimacy will be banned “wherever possible.” Union requests, meanwhile, will be reviewed by prefects, with alternative routes planned to protect city centers, shops and public buildings. This is exactly the approach adopted in Paris, with the Bastille–Nation route.
The defense council announced shortly afterward was held at the Élysée Palace on Friday morning, October 23. At the time of this update, its decisions had not yet been made public.
This doctrine is also being challenged in court. On Thursday evening, the Association for the Defense of Constitutional Freedoms (Adelico) and the Magistrates’ Union filed an urgent application for the protection of fundamental freedoms with the Conseil d'État, franceinfo reports. They argue that no legal provision allows the head of state to reserve marches exclusively for trade unions. Such applications are generally decided within 48 hours, potentially before Saturday.
High school students will also be taking part. In a statement published on Wednesday, October 21, the Coordination nationale lycéenne is calling on them to take to the streets this Saturday, October 24, alongside students, apprentices, work-study students and workers. It says it supports all possible next steps in the movement, from demonstrations to blockades and occupations.
This text was adopted at its second meeting, held in Paris on October 18. More than 100 high school students, delegated by their general assemblies, represented 27 cities, from Brest to Strasbourg and Lille to Marseille, as well as delegations from Île-de-France.
As for their demands, high school students are calling for more funding and staff, class sizes capped at 25, the abolition of Parcoursup and an end to inequalities between affluent and working-class neighborhoods. They are already calling for a national day of action on Tuesday, November 3, joining the November 5 strike and planning another meeting on Thursday, October 29.
The government admits that crowd control showed its limits last weekend. In the National Assembly, Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged that the response during Act I was “too static and not mobile enough.”
The Interior Ministry is therefore announcing a doctrine “more focused on responsiveness and mobility,” capable of tracking down small groups that move quickly. Laurent Nuñez, who will personally oversee the operation on Saturday, has already outlined three measures:
Intelligence services fear highly mobile groups of troublemakers on Saturday, including some from the far left. Expect a highly visible police and military presence, well beyond the Bastille–Nation route.
The precedent set on October 17 is also a reminder that surprises can arise on the day itself. The police headquarters had ordered a route from République to Place de Clichy (18th arrondissement), as we explained in our article on the October 17 march route. Thousands of demonstrators were left stranded on the other side of République, and the large joint march never took shape.
The partial curfew in Paris is now in effect until 6 a.m. on Monday, October 26. Under order No. 2026-01407 of October 22, the Paris Police Prefecture has banned anyone, adults and minors alike, from being in the areas around Place de la République and Les Halles every night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. The measure therefore also applies on Saturday night into Sunday. The exceptions are detailed in our article Can you go home or work after 11 p.m.?
During the day, orders issued in recent days, such as Thursday’s from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., banned unauthorized gatherings in several areas:
Bastille, the starting point for the authorized march, lies within this zone, as does République, which the yellow vests had wanted to march through. As of this update, the order setting out the prohibited areas and the one covering the Bastille–Opéra route had not yet been made public for Saturday. Keep an eye on the Police Prefecture website.
The City of Paris is also urging the utmost vigilance. After last weekend’s violence and looting, it fears further damage caused by vandals with no connection to the protest movement.
Starting this Thursday, the city hall is removing from public spaces equipment that could be used to smash things, such as barriers and movable parts of construction sites. It is asking residents and shopkeepers to bring in their bins, bicycles, outdoor seating and furniture from midday on Saturday. So if you park your bicycle on the street between Bastille and Nation, it would be best to put it somewhere safe.
More than 1,000 sanitation workers will be deployed this weekend, alongside mediation teams. Several events planned in public spaces have also been canceled, including activities at Mon Premier Festival, the children’s film festival, in Paris Centre. Before heading out with your family, check that your screening or workshop is still going ahead.
For businesses, the cost of last weekend remains high. Around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted in France, and the government has announced interest-free loans available from Friday, as well as the option to spread out payments. Several retail chains would therefore rather take no chances on Saturday. Benjamin Ball is going so far as to urge shopkeepers to close up and join the protest.
First major name to shut up shop: Apple. The three Apple Stores in Paris—on the Champs-Élysées (8th arrondissement), in Opéra (9th) and at Marché Saint-Germain (6th)—will remain closed all day, as will four other city-center stores in Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Aix-en-Provence. Stores in shopping centers in Île-de-France, such as Vélizy 2, Les Quatre Temps in La Défense and Parly 2, will remain open, and the Paris stores will exceptionally reopen on Sunday, October 25, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. We cover everything in our article on the Apple Stores in Paris closed Saturday.
Apple is not the only one playing it safe. The DJI Store Paris on rue Soufflot (5th arrondissement) has also announced that it is closing. The racing simulator center E-Motion Paris on rue Réaumur (2nd arrondissement) will be closed on Saturday and Sunday. As for nightlife, the 33 Foch club (16th arrondissement) will not reopen on Saturday night. And Japan Fes Paris, a night market scheduled for this weekend at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe, has been canceled. The next event announced on its official website is on November 6 and 7 at Place Saint-Michel.
Culture is also paying the price. Art Basel Paris, the major contemporary art fair held at the Grand Palais (8th arrondissement), will close to the public on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25. Scheduled to run from October 23 to 25 and feature more than 200 galleries, it will now be open for just one day, this Friday, and will close earlier than planned, at 7 p.m. Organizers cite the safety of visitors, exhibitors and staff. Details of refunds for weekend tickets have yet to be announced.
The major national museums are following suit. On Thursday evening, the Ministry of Culture announced the exceptional closure this Saturday of the Louvre Museum (1st arrondissement), the Musée d'Orsay (7th arrondissement) and the Musée national Picasso (3rd arrondissement). The Grand Palais is also closing all its exhibitions. The ministry cited the safety of visitors and staff, as well as the protection of the artworks. Picasso ticket holders will be contacted by email about a refund or exchange. Our articles provide an overview of the venues closing that day.
Museums, shops and salons: several venues have chosen to close this Saturday, October 24, 2026, ahead of the demonstration planned in Paris. [Read more]
These decisions follow a clear message from the Paris police headquarters. In a letter sent Wednesday evening, police prefect Patrice Faure urged Paris shopkeepers to take "precautions" ahead of the upcoming student protests and protests over the rising cost of living. He recommended, in particular, that they step up security at their premises and adjust their opening hours.
The prefecture goes even further in its advice. It urges shopkeepers to consider “hiring private security guards, accompanied where appropriate by canine units”—in other words, guards with dogs. It also asks them to check their alarms and video surveillance systems.
For the rest, it echoes the recommendations of the Interior Ministry: close earlier, protect shop windows, and leave no furniture or rubbish bins out on the street on the day of the demonstration. These instructions are in line with those issued by the City of Paris.
However, no order requires businesses to close: the decision is up to each business owner. Shops, cafés and restaurants located between Bastille and Nation are most at risk. Although Opéra and République are not on the official route, memories of October 17 could lead some businesses in these neighborhoods to err on the side of caution. We will update the list of closures as soon as another business gets in touch.
At the time of writing, the department stores on Boulevard Haussmann have not announced any closures, and the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann website still lists its regular Saturday hours. In December 2018, during Act IV of the Yellow Vest protests, however, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps closed their Paris stores as a precaution, Europe 1 recalls.
Outside Paris, the approach is different. The coordination’s map lists gatherings at roundabouts, outside gas stations, oil depots, train stations and toll plazas. The main demand remains a freeze on pump prices and tighter controls on oil companies’ profit margins.
These actions are often brief and mobile, making them difficult to anticipate. If you’re driving in Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne or Val-d’Oise on Saturday, allow extra time, especially near major roads and shopping areas.
The most reliable source remains the Paris Police Prefecture, which publishes its orders on its website and social media: the approved route, restricted areas and any new restrictions. For public transport, the RATP announces station closures, and our metro and RER service updates reflect them throughout the day.
If you live or work between Bastille and Nation, keep an eye on these sources until Saturday morning. And if you’d rather spend the day away from the marches, our ideas for things to do this Saturday, October 24 put the spotlight on exhibitions. Just check before you set off, as the Louvre, Orsay, the Grand Palais and the Picasso Museum will remain closed on Saturday. The movement will continue on October 31 with Act III, on November 3 with the national high school students’ day of action, and then with the inter-union strike on November 5.
We will update this article as soon as the prefectural orders for Saturday are published, the Defense Council’s decisions are announced, the Council of State responds, and any further resort closures are confirmed.
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October 24 mobilization in Paris: More than 30 metro stations closed, 9 lines affected
October 24, 2026 demonstration: places that will be exceptionally closed this Saturday
