All demonstrations, whether announced or not, will be banned on Saturday in Marseille, the country’s second-largest city, and in Bouches-du-Rhône (south) “for obvious reasons of security and the availability of internal security forces,” the regional authorities announced today.
Citing “the looting, destruction, and vandalism” that took place last weekend, the regional authority also announced in a press release that public transportation will suspend service on Saturday at 5:00 local time until Sunday at 5:00 a.m. in the Marseille area.
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In addition, the curfew currently in effect for minors in the city center and certain commercial districts will be extended to adults for the nights from Saturday to Sunday and from Sundayto Monday.
A total of 217 people have been jailed out of the 2,700 arrested following last weekend’s violence and looting in France, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced today.
“This is truly an extremely robust response, unprecedented in its scope,” Darmanin said, noting that half of those arrested had no prior criminal record.
“They are generally men between the ages of 18 and 25, most of whom had never been in trouble with the law,” said the Minister of Justice outside the Fleury-Méroz prison in the Paris region.
Darmanin also advocated for the suspension of voting rights for the accused: “I don’t understand how someone who attacks police officers and gendarmes, who loots businesses, could exercise their political rights in the upcoming elections,” the minister said.
Looting and violence rocked French cities last weekend, including Paris, during protests against rising prices, in which 3,000 businesses were looted and vandalized across the country.
Earlier today, President Emmanuel Macron accused far-left groups of attempting to “overthrow the Republic” during Saturday’s violence—the worst in recent years—just six months before the presidential election.
With new protests expected in the capital on Saturday, the major contemporary art fair Art Basel Paris will close its doors on Friday, two days earlier than originally scheduled, organizers announced today.
“Due to potential protests in Paris this weekend and in order to protect our visitors, exhibitors, partners, and staff, as well as the artworks, Art Basel Paris will conclude its 2026 edition on Friday,” their announcement states.
Originally, this major international fair, which opened to industry professionals on Wednesday at the Grand Palais near the Champs-Élysées, had been scheduled to remain open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
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Source: APE-MPE
