France is preparing for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over rising living costs and education issues, deploying around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes as youth-led protests spread to several European countries.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a "very high risk" of unrest, particularly during Halloween night, prompting authorities to tighten security measures across the country.
In Paris, police have restricted demonstrations to a designated route along the city's outer boulevards, from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton, banning union and Yellow Vest marches from the city centre on Friday.
Trade unions and student organisations have challenged the restrictions in court.
President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this week that demonstrations would be kept away from central areas to prevent damage to shops and businesses.
Authorities have also prohibited access to Place de la République and Les Halles between 11 pm and 6 am on Saturday and Sunday. Both locations experienced rioting and looting during protests on October 17.
A separate 9 pm curfew has been imposed on unaccompanied minors around the Champs-Elysees. However, a Paris court suspended an earlier curfew on minors on Wednesday, ruling that it seriously and unlawfully restricted freedom of movement.
The protest movement initially began with high school students raising concerns about educational conditions before expanding into broader public anger over the rising cost of living.
Authorities estimated that around 550,000 people participated in demonstrations on October 17, when rioters looted hundreds of shops. Another 410,000 joined protests last Saturday, which remained largely peaceful, although police arrested more than 1,300 people.
Protests gain momentum across Europe
In Germany, a youth-led initiative called "Gen Z regelt", roughly translated as "Gen Z's got this", has called for demonstrations in around 30 cities.
The organisers are demanding improvements in education, healthcare, climate protection and living affordability while opposing any return to compulsory military service.
More than 140,000 people have registered their support online, according to the organisers.
Berlin police are preparing for approximately 10,000 demonstrators at the Brandenburg Gate. Meanwhile, some businesses along the Kurfuerstendamm boulevard have boarded up their windows as a precaution, although authorities said they had received no specific information about planned violence.
In Barcelona, Spain, Catalan police have announced their highest level of security alert after an anonymous TikTok-based network called Blocus encouraged people to organise fresh gatherings.
Last Saturday's unrest in the city resulted in around 130 arrests, most involving minors.
Italian police have also heightened security following clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna.
Meanwhile, calls for demonstrations have circulated on TikTok in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal, indicating that the youth-led protest movement is gaining wider momentum across Europe.