Bastille to Nation March Authorized for Saturday as Paris Curfew Continues Through the Weekend

Paris police have approved a march from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation on Saturday, October 24. They turned down the route the yellow vest coordination wanted, which continued to the Opéra. The nighttime curfew around Place de la République and Les Halles stays in place until Monday morning. All of it follows the October 17 protests, after which the Interior Ministry counted 2,397 arrests across France.

The march

The prefecture announced its decision on Thursday, October 22. The union march, declared by the CGT among others, leaves Place de la Bastille at 2pm. It runs roughly two kilometers east through the 12th arrondissement, along rue de Lyon, place Félix-Éboué, boulevard de Reuilly, boulevard de Picpus and avenue du Trône, and finishes at Place de la Nation. The prefecture said anyone wanting to voice demands could do so on that route.

The yellow vests had asked to go the other way, from Bastille to the Opéra by way of République. That was refused. Police Prefect Patrice Faure pointed to the violence and damage of last weekend and of the end of earlier protests, October 13 in particular, and said routes had to be chosen with the greatest caution.

Authorities plan a large security presence with elite units, and the prefect has asked shopkeepers to protect their premises. Earlier in the week the Interior Minister said Operation Sentinelle soldiers would take over fixed guard duties to free up police and gendarmes. Helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannon were also on his list.

Curfew and transport

In an order announced on Thursday evening, the prefecture barred anyone, adult or minor, from two areas of Paris between 11pm and 6am the following morning, nightly from October 22 to 25. The last period begins on Sunday, October 25, and ends at 6am on Monday, October 26, according to franceinfo.

The first area is the central plaza of Place de la République, where the 3rd, 10th and 11th arrondissements meet. The second is the Les Halles district, bounded by Place Maurice-Quentin, Rue Berger, Passage des Lingères, Boulevard de Sébastopol, Rue Rambuteau and Allée André-Breton. Sortiraparis reports exceptions for residents who can prove their address by any means, shopkeepers, people traveling to work in the area and emergency services. It also says no other town in Île-de-France was under a confirmed curfew as of October 22.

On the curfew nights so far, the RATP has closed the République, Châtelet and Les Halles stations from 10pm at the prefecture’s request. Connections were suspended and the RER B was partly interrupted. The curfew ending at 6am does not mean the stations reopen at that hour, since the RATP had not confirmed reopening times. For Saturday’s march, Sortiraparis says many stations, from the Champs-Élysées to the Latin Quarter, will close at the prefecture’s request and reopen only when it allows, with no times announced.

Closures and dates ahead

According to Sortiraparis, several museums and shops announced exceptional closures for Saturday, including the Louvre and the Musée Picasso. Check each venue before heading out.

The yellow vest coordination has called further action for October 31, and unions have a day of action planned for November 5.

Orders and routes are published on the Paris police prefecture’s website and social channels, and the RATP announces station closures.

Source: Paris Police Prefecture on X, October 22; franceinfo (copy on Shango Media); France 3 Paris Île-de-France; CNews; France 24; Sortiraparis (curfew, metro and RER, October 24 protest).

Photo by yassine rahaoui on Unsplash