A protest against the rising cost of living is expected to take place in Paris on Saturday, October 17th, bringing together students, Gilets Jaunes activists and trade union supporters.
Several demonstrations are planned in Paris on Saturday, October 17th, as part of a national demonstration against the rising cost of living. However, the official protest routes remain uncertain after the Paris police préfecture banned the planned routes over security concerns.
Between 20,000 and 40,000 people are expected to take part in demonstrations in the capital, according to estimates from the authorities – in addition to between 50,000 and 100,000 across the rest of France.
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What are the planned routes?
A march bringing together Gilets Jaunes activists, students and trade union supporters was initially planned to travel from Place de l’Opéra to Place de la Bastille.
Organisers have announced Place de l’Opéra, in front of the Palais Garnier, as the meeting point. Speeches are scheduled from 1pm, followed by a gathering of high school and university students at 2pm. The march was initially due to set off at around 2.30pm towards Bastille.
The blue line shows the proposed route by the Paris police and the red line shows the originally planned route which is currently being discussed.
However, the route remains disputed.
The police préfecture has proposed an alternative route from Place de Clichy to Place de la République, passing through Blanche and Pigalle, Barbès-Rochechouart and Boulevard de Magenta, near the Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est railway stations.
The préfecture said it had taken into account organisers’ wish to hold two separate marches, but not along the routes originally declared. Authorities are concerned that demonstrators from the student march could join the Gilets Jaunes procession.
The final route is expected to be published on the préfecture’s website, and we will update this article once we have the official confirmation.
Student and trade union march
Student groups, trade unions and youth organisations had initially planned to march from Place de la République to Place de la Concorde, via the Grands Boulevards.
However, the police prefecture prohibited the route, due to fears of violence and public disorder. It proposed an alternative route between Place de la République and Place de la Nation.
The blue line shows the proposed route by the Paris police and the red line shows the originally planned route. This route has not been confirmed yet either.
Which metro stations could be closed?
The Paris public transport operator RATP announces station closures on the day itself, depending on the situation. Stations along the planned protest routes are the most likely to be affected.
If the Clichy-République route is chosen, Line 2 is likely to be particularly affected, between Place de Clichy and Barbès-Rochechouart. Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est and République stations could also be affected.
If the République-Nation route is used, keep an eye on stations along Boulevard Voltaire and at Nation. For the Opéra-Bastille route, stations around the Grands Boulevards and Bastille are the ones to watch.
People planning to attend or travel through central Paris should check the police prefecture’s website for the latest information, as routes and meeting points may change – information about closures will also be updated on transport apps such as CityMapper or Google Maps.