France heads into third weekend of protests as youth-led rallies sweep Europe

France is bracing for its third weekend of protests as youth-led demonstrations spread across Europe, authorities warn of a very high risk of disorder, especially after dark. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and President Emmanuel Macron both emphasize the need for peaceful marches, with Macron specifically stating that they will stay out of city centers to protect shops.

Paris prepared for the march by deploying 70,000 police and gendarmes, and banning union and yellow vest marches from passing through the city center, directing demonstrators to follow a single route along the capital's outer boulevards. Unaccompanied minors face a separate curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. around the Champs-Elysees.

The protests originated from high school students protesting school conditions and have since evolved into anger over living costs. In Germany, a youth initiative called Gen Z regelt urged protests in some 30 cities for education, health, climate protection, and an affordable life, while in Barcelona, Catalan police plan their highest-level alert after an anonymous TikTok network urged new gatherings.