France, Shaken by Violence, Restricts Protests; Bonds Keep Falling Amid Anxiety

The French government said it would impose full or partial protest bans in major cities to prevent further violence and restrict demonstrations not organized by labor unions.

According to the BBC and other media outlets on October 22 (local time), French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement after holding a security meeting with the heads of intelligence agencies. “The overall recommendation is that there should be no protests over the coming days,” he said.

“If those who wish to continue protesting are labor unions, the prefect will suggest an alternative route,” President Macron said. “If they are not unions, they will all be banned as far as possible.”

He stressed that “restoring calm is the priority.” He added that he would hold a security meeting with ministers from key departments on October 23 to decide on “the next measures” in response to nationwide protests scheduled for after October 24 (local time).

A police officer extinguishes a bicycle set ablaze during a protest in Paris, France, on the 17th (local time). Paris, France = Reuters-Yonhap News.

President Macron also said that “last Saturday, there were political acts and incitement to violence by far-left groups seeking to bring down the Republic,” again blaming far-left forces for the violence on October 17.

Earlier, local authorities in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Grenoble and other areas also imposed protest bans. Paris police said gatherings would be prohibited from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day near major government institutions, including the Élysée Palace, the presidential residence, and the National Assembly and Senate, as well as the Louvre Museum, the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Bastille, Place de la République and Les Halles.

A large-scale protest announced by student groups for October 24 was also subject to restrictions. The groups plan to hold a large-scale demonstration that day, and the Yellow Vest movement, which has supported them, also said it would hold a march in Paris.

The government has said it will respond firmly. Jean-Didier Berger, a junior minister in the Interior Ministry, told local media, “We plan to deploy 20% more security personnel than last week.” About 60,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed for the protests on October 17.

The Associated Press reported that thousands of people took to the streets to protest in Paris that afternoon, despite the protest ban.

Clashes between protesters and police are also anticipated on October 24. Paris police said protesters could start at Place de la Bastille and march through eastern Paris, but would not be allowed to enter the city center, where shops and public facilities are concentrated. The Yellow Vest movement, which organized the march with labor unions, said, “We cannot accept this,” AFP reported.

Despite the government’s tough response, anxiety among institutions and businesses is growing. France’s Ministry of Culture decided to close major Paris museums, including the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, for the day on October 24, while the international art fair Art Basel Paris will close on October 23, two days earlier than originally scheduled.

As political and social turmoil intensifies alongside fiscal uncertainty, French government bond prices have continued to fall. The yield on France’s 10-year government bond rose to as high as 5.145% during trading that day before easing somewhat to 5.11%, but it remains at its highest level since 2002.

Reuters reported that, for the first time since 2013, the yield on France’s 10-year government bond had moved above that on the U.S. 10-year Treasury bond.

German government bonds rose amid safe-haven demand, widening the gap between French and German 10-year government bond yields to 1.78 percentage points. This is the largest spread since 2011, during the eurozone debt crisis, when the bloc comprised 20 countries using the euro.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.