# France Bans Halloween Masks as 70,000 Police Patrol Ahead of Third-Weekend Riots

> France has forbidden Halloween masks and deployed 70,000 officers for the upcoming protests, warning that the risk of disorder is very high.

- Publisher: Briefzora (https://briefzora.com)
- URL: https://briefzora.com/france-bans-halloween-masks-as-70000-police-patrol-ahead-of-third-weekend-riots
- Published: 2026-11-01T14:48:00+05:00
- Author: Briefzora Desk (https://briefzora.com/author/briefzora-desk)
- Section: Politics
- Image: https://briefzora.com/uploads/2026/10/halloween-masks-are-banned-and-70000-police-deployed-in-france-ahead-gvz4gv.webp

## Key points

- France has banned Halloween masks for the upcoming protests.
- 70,000 police officers will patrol the streets during the third-weekend demonstrations.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that the risk of disorder is very high.
- At least 4,000 people have been arrested and hundreds wounded in the past month.
- A court lifted a ban on the protest route from Bastille to Nation in Paris.

## Why it matters

The ban on masks and the heavy police presence aim to prevent further riots, looting and arson that have already resulted in thousands of arrests and hundreds of injuries during recent protests.

## Article

France has prohibited the use of Halloween masks and mobilised 70,000 police officers for the upcoming protests, citing a very high risk of public disorder. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that more rioting, looting and arson was inevitable as shopkeepers brace for a third weekend of violence.

Nunez said: "Face-covering masks will not be allowed," adding that the protests coincide with Halloween and that the authorities feared a surge in disorder. He also noted that police had received multiple social media calls urging protesters to "spark a revolution" and to "dress up and gather for a night of darkness".

Insiders have warned that the thuggery could reach the scale of the October 17 riots, with Paris authorities "considerably nervous" about rioters hiding their identities in costumes. A police source remarked, "There is no reason to think this will go smoothly."

Over the past month, at least 4,000 people have been arrested during disturbances, and hundreds have been wounded. Police have banned demonstrations in the city centres of many locations, including Paris, where a march will occur on the eastern section of the ring road on Saturday.

A total of 40 metro stations will be closed in the capital, and the police deployment will again reach around 70,000 officers. Shopkeepers have been urged to remain vigilant, and residents told not to leave bins on the streets.

Meanwhile, a court overturned a ban on the protest route from Bastille to Nation in eastern central Paris. Police had intended to move the march to the outskirts of the city to keep troublemakers away from the centre, but the ban was lifted late on Friday evening. An appeal at 10pm was then successful, allowing the march to proceed near the centre for the first time since the violent October 17 riots.

The authorities fear that some trouble-makers may still deviate from the route. In Germany, around 10,000 protesters, mainly pupils, students and their parents, are expected at the Brandenburg Gate this afternoon, with big rallies also called in Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg. The situation raises concerns that violent rallies across the continent could spread to the UK. A large-scale "international youth strike" backed by the National Education Union is planned in Britain for November 20.

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