France deploys up to 70,000 police and closes major Paris museums ahead of new protests

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced a massive police deployment and museum closures as students and unions plan Saturday demonstrations.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 24 Oct 2026 07:21:41 GMT

France is preparing for a new wave of protests on Saturday, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez saying as many as 70,000 police officers, gendarmes, helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons will be deployed nationwide. Major Paris museums, including the Louvre, Orsay, Picasso Museum and the Grand Palais, are closed for the day, according to two outlets.

What happened

On Saturday, authorities closed the Louvre, Orsay, Picasso Museum and the Grand Palais, where a Cézanne exhibition is on view. The French interior ministry announced a deployment of roughly 70,000 officers across the country, supported by aerial assets and crowd‑control equipment. Art Basel Paris opened for a single day on Friday before cancelling its weekend programme because of the security risk.

What the reports add

Independent reported that the police deployment includes "helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons" and that the government hopes to avoid a repeat of last week’s unrest, which saw looting and burned‑out cars. France 24 echoed the figure of 70,000 officers and added that the deployment is intended to protect both public order and the closed museum sites. Both outlets note that more than half a million demonstrators took to the streets during the previous protests.

What was said

Laurent Nuñez told reporters, as quoted by Independent, that "as many as 70,000 officers will be deployed nationwide". Paris police prefect Patrice Faure, mentioned by Independent, urged shopkeepers to board up their premises, while France 24 referenced a statement from the prefect (name truncated in the source) urging vigilance.

How it came about

The current security measures follow a series of cost‑of‑living protests that began in late September. Felo previously reported on the arrests during the October 17 demonstrations (Paris protests cost of living arrests) and on the museum closures announced on October 23 (Paris museum closures protests). Earlier reports also highlighted a major student march scheduled for October 6 and a series of tear‑gas deployments at schools, underscoring the escalating tension that prompted the government’s latest response.

Key facts

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced a deployment of up to 70,000 police officers nationwide. (independent.co.uk)
The Louvre, Orsay, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais are closed on Saturday. (france24.com)
Art Basel Paris cancelled its weekend programme after opening for one day. (independent.co.uk)