Paris (France) (AFP) – The security system for the new social mobilization on Saturday at the call of trade union and youth organizations as well as the yellow vests is “renewed”, with 70,000 police and gendarmes mobilized throughout the territory, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Friday.

Published on: 06/11/2026 - 19:18

“For tomorrow, the situation is a little different from that which we experienced yesterday to the extent that we have fewer declarations from representative trade union organizations”, with “calls for gatherings” without “necessarily a structured organizer, which carries a little more risk”, detailed the minister during a press conference in Paris.

For the previous day of social mobilization, Thursday, the unions claimed a participation of more than 1.5 million people - the authorities recorded 575,000 demonstrators, including 65,000 in Paris.

For Saturday, the minister reported calls, on social networks, "for violence against internal security forces", "public buildings", "businesses" with "looting", as well as "calls for revolution, insurrection, ultra-left or far-radical left movements". He also mentioned calls for “blockages of traffic routes” in the morning and “structuring routes”.

“So the risk is exactly the same as for previous Saturdays,” estimated Laurent Nuñez.

The security system is therefore "renewed in volume and operational doctrine", that is to say "70,000 personnel", he announced.

This system has been in place for social mobilization days since October 24. On Saturday October 17, which turned into chaos with numerous looting, damage and violence in several cities in France, 60,000 police officers and gendarmes were on the ground.

The 25 Centaure, the armored vehicles of the gendarmerie, will be mobilized on Saturday, as will “15 water-throwing devices” throughout the territory, as well as drones and helicopters, the minister said.

Numerous upstream checks will be carried out "on road flows, on railway routes and in stations", warned Laurent Nuñez.

“The prefects have issued orders prohibiting demonstrations in city centers” and “obviously, city centers tomorrow (Saturday, editor’s note) will be systematically protected,” he added.

“If there were to be thugs and looters, (...) we will wait for them firmly,” he threatened, assuring that “those who want to demonstrate peacefully, in complete safety, we will supervise them and we will ensure that the freedom to demonstrate can be expressed normally”.

On Thursday, a total of 642 people were arrested during demonstrations across the country, according to the minister.

© 2026 AFP

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