‘Act III’ of mass protests can’t run through central Paris on Halloween, France’s top court rules

Demonstrations are underway on the outskirts of Paris as authorities cite a “high risk to public order” intensified by Halloween. But pushing the movement outside of the city has sparked widespread debate over fundamental rights.PARIS (CN) — The Conseil d’État, France’s top court, ruled Saturday morning that “Act III” of the mass demonstrations could not pass through the city center, just hours before its planned kickoff at Place de la Bastille.“There is a very high risk that… further major disturbances to public order will occur on [Saturday] on the fringes of the authorised processions, in a tense social and protest-related context, and at a time when numerous calls for violent actions on that day are being circulated on social media,” the court decision read. “The prohibition of this route and the proposal of an alternative … appears necessary and is neither inappropriate nor disproportionate.”The new route, from Porte de Bagnolet to Porte de Charenton, runs along the outskirts of the capital. Saturday afternoon, buses heading toward the area were rerouted and nearby streets were closed to cars and bikes.A protester holds a French flag at Republic Square during a demonstration against rising living costs, joining students' grievances, in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)The ongoing protests are fueling debate over demonstrators’ fundamental rights and the state’s responsibility to maintain order. In Paris, the route of the demonstrations has become a political and philosophical flashpoint.Protesting is a fundamental right under the French Constitution. Unions must declare their intended route in advance so authorities can prepare, but do not need permission to demonstrate because protests fall under freedom of expression. Authorities can impose restrictions only when there is a serious safety threat.On Oct. 24, “Act II” of the demonstrations was pushed to the outskirts of Paris, where hundreds of thousands marched in the rain. This week, the interunion alliance declared that “Act III” would follow a traditional demonstration route from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation, used for similar marches for decades.Paris police prefect Patrice Faure then announced that demonstrations along the route would be banned “for a while.” The prefecture said “Act III” would be allowed only along the city limits, citing Halloween as a public order risk because of potential masks, fake weapons and social media calls to emulate the American horror movie “The Purge.”The interunion alliance, calling the decision an infringement on democratic rights, appealed to the Paris Administrative Court on Friday evening and won.“The judge in chambers begins by recalling the scope of the freedom to demonstrate, which extends to the right to choose the time, place, and modalities of the gathering,” Chirinne Ardakani, a lawyer representing the interunion alliance, live-posted from the hearings. “The judge does not see how the imposed alternative route would avoid ‘clashes’ … alleged by a ‘vague and unsubstantiated’ note.’”Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the prefecture would immediately appeal to the Conseil d’État, France’s equivalent of the Supreme Court. Hearings began at 10 p.m. Friday and continued into early Saturday.The court ultimately ruled in Nuñez’s favor, citing a heightened risk of public disorder, the Oct. 17 riots, threats to businesses along the Bastille-Nation route and demands on police resources. It concluded that the alternative route preserved the right to protest.Roughly 70,000 officers were deployed nationwide Saturday.Categories / InternationalSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads