What is happening in France right now

Since Saturday, October 17, France has been going through a wave of social protest that began over the cost of living: fuel prices, wages and purchasing power. It brings together several groups that are not one organized movement: trade unions, high school and university students, and collectives of the Yellow Vests (the gilets jaunes, a protest movement that first appeared in 2018). Each group has its own demands and its own calendar.

I will not pretend it has been quiet. The first Saturday, October 17, saw looting and clashes in several French cities, and the government responded with a heavy police presence. The second Saturday, October 24, was calmer: the Interior Ministry counted about 410,000 participants nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris, and reported that marches on agreed routes went ahead under police supervision, while small groups on the edges of some marches tried to provoke violence. The ministry described the night that followed as calm.

This movement is about the economy and domestic politics. It is not directed at visitors, and it is not directed at Jewish life in Paris.

Where and when it concentrates

Protest in France follows a recognizable pattern, and that is what makes it possible to plan around. The large marches happen on specific, announced days, mostly Saturdays so far, usually starting in the early afternoon. They follow routes declared to the Préfecture de police (the Paris police authority), which publishes its decisions, often the day before or the morning of. Big squares such as République, Bastille and Place d'Italie are frequent gathering points.

On march days, the RATP (the Paris metro operator) closes stations along the route at the Préfecture's request: trains pass through without stopping. After October 17, the Préfecture also applied a night curfew (11 p.m. to 6 a.m.) in two small perimeters, the central plaza of Place de la République and part of Les Halles, with the surrounding metro stations closed in the evening. That measure ran until the morning of Monday, October 26. Please check whether it has been renewed before you travel.

The dates already called for the coming days:

  • Friday, October 30, evening: a pots-and-pans protest called outside the Assemblée nationale (the National Assembly, in the 7th arrondissement).
  • Saturday, October 31, from 2 p.m.: sit-ins called outside the Assemblée nationale and town halls. As of today, no route or gathering has been officially declared.
  • Thursday, November 5: a national strike called by the main trade unions, joined by four rail unions. This is the date most likely to affect trains, more than the Saturday gatherings.

What stays normal

Outside those hours and those routes, Paris looks like Paris. On the days between marches, people go to work, children go to school, cafés fill up at lunch. In the Marais, the bakeries, delis and grocers we visit on the tasting walk open their doors as usual, and Jewish community life, synagogues, schools and Shabbat tables, carries on. Even on a march day, a march occupies a few boulevards for a few hours, not the city. If a museum or a site we planned to visit closes for the day, we will know and we will tell you.

What the U.S. government says

The State Department's travel advisory for France is at Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution," citing terrorism and civil unrest. It notes that peaceful demonstrations and strikes occur regularly in Paris and other French cities and can disrupt transportation, and it advises avoiding demonstrations and areas with a heavy police presence. Before the October 17 protests, the U.S. Embassy in Paris issued a demonstration alert with practical advice: avoid demonstration areas, check RATP for station closures, plan alternate routes and allow extra travel time.

Practical advice, in short

  • Check the announced routes the evening before and the morning of: the Préfecture de police publishes them, and French and English-language media (France 24, RFI, The Local) relay them.
  • Do not join or follow a march, even out of curiosity. Step away from large crowds and lines of police vehicles. That is where the rare incidents happen.
  • On strike days, plan transport early. SNCF usually publishes its train forecasts the day before. If you have a train or an airport transfer on November 5, keep a backup option and leave extra time.
  • Enroll in STEP, the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, to receive embassy alerts directly on your phone.
  • Keep some flexibility in your schedule, and check what your travel insurance covers.

How we adapt your day

I live and work in Paris. Following the news is part of my job as a journalist, and organizing days around closures and events is part of my job as a fixer. In practice: we plan around announced routes and adjust the day if needed. That can mean moving a program to another day of your stay, starting earlier, reordering stops, or choosing a walking route and a meeting point away from the day's gatherings. Our programs are private, so we can make those changes without waiting for anyone else.

I cannot promise that nothing will ever happen in a large city, and nobody honestly can. What I can promise is that we will tell you what we know, as soon as we know it, and adapt the plan with you rather than for you.

Before you book, or before you cancel

Write to me with your dates and your questions. I will tell you what is announced for those days and how we would plan around it, and you can decide with real information in hand. Contact us here, or by WhatsApp at +33 6 68 08 61 02.

Sources

Updated October 26, 2026. This page reflects official information available on that date; the situation can change, so always check the sources above before you travel.