France bans protests in several cities as Macron limits weekend demonstrations to authorised union demos

Summary

France has banned demonstrations planned in several cities, including Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble, according to The Globe and Mail, and some people saw the ban as an infringement on the French right to protest. The BBC reports that some cities, including Lyon and Nice, have banned all protests, and that President Macron said weekend protests would be limited to authorised demonstrations, meaning union demos only. Al Jazeera reports that Thursday's planned demonstrations are outlawed in parts of Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble, and that Macron blamed what it describes as a seditious ultra-left for the unrest.

Timeline

1. The Globe and Mail

   22 Oct 2026, 12:11 UTCSource ↗

   The Globe and Mail reports that France has banned demonstrations planned in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble, a ban some saw as an infringement on French people's right to protest.

2. BBC

   22 Oct 2026, 13:02 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that some cities, including Lyon and Nice, have banned all protests, and that President Macron said only authorised demonstrations would be allowed at weekend protests, limited to union demos.

3. Al Jazeera

   22 Oct 2026, 13:12 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that Thursday's planned demonstrations are outlawed in parts of Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble, and that Macron blamed a seditious ultra-left for the unrest.