Most recent update at 21:45 on 16 Oct with available details re 17 Oct protests, more details to follow. Please read the entire 17 October section before posting any questions below.
Hello all,
This is an update and expansion of our prior megathread regarding the October 2026 student protests, in order to provide a more complete calendar of upcoming events. Thank you to everyone who provided helpful information in the previous thread.
[Updated to remove information about 13 October's protests, now concluded.]
17 October:
Significant protest activity is expected, beginning in the morning and continuing through the late afternoon. Negotiations between organizers and the police about specific routes are ongoing. In brief: expect major disruptions to traffic, especially on the ring road and across the right bank (north of the river). At this time, no significant train or transit disruptions are forecast other than station closures around protest activity (see details below), so take the metro if at all possible. This is particularly true for travel to/from CDG - no RER disturbances predicted but MAJOR traffic problems.
Here is an official summary of the situation and expectations as of around 21:30 on Friday, 16 October. There continue to be significant, let's say differences of opinion, between the police and the organizers as to where people will rally and how they will march. The significant uncertainty is reflected in this list of metro station closures (source linked above), covering various routes that have been declared by the protestors at different times (from the Arc de Triomphe and along the Champs Elysées, from Opéra to République along different routes, from Bastille north) as well as the route directed by the police at this time (from République to Place de Clichy), as well as in the immediate proximity of important government sites. This list will likely evolve over the course of the day.
The following metro stations will be CLOSED for entry/exit and transfers at these stations are not guaranteed:
Starting at 8h (until TBD) :
Charles de Gaulle - Ătoile (lignes 1, 2 et 6, RER A),
Argentine (ligne 1),
George V (ligne 1),
Tuileries (ligne 1),
Franklin D. Roosevelt (lignes 1 et 9),
Champs-Ălysees Clemenceau (lignes 1 et 13),
Concorde (lignes 1, 8 et 12),
Opéra (lignes 3, 7 et 8),
Chaussée d'Antin - La Fayette (lignes 7 et 9),
Pyramides (lignes 7 et 14),
Madeleine (lignes 8, 12 et 14),
Miromesnil (lignes 9 et 13),
Assemblée nationale (ligne 12),
Solférino (ligne 12),
Rue du bac (ligne 12),
Varenne (ligne 13)
Starting at 12h00 (until TBD) :
Bastille (lignes 1 et 5),
Anvers (ligne 2),
Blanche (ligne 2),
BarbĂšs-Rochecouart (lignes 2 et 4),
Pigalle (lignes 2 et 12),
Bourse (ligne 3),
Chemin vert (ligne 8),
Saint-SĂ©bastien - Froissart (ligne 8),
Filles du Calvaire (ligne 8)
In addition, the gilets jaunes historically rally around the Arc de Triomphe. The police have denied their permit for that location tomorrow but expect that something will be happening there, most probably in the morning.
Also, labor actions by taxi drivers that began yesterday are expected to continue, and between the taxis and other usual protest tactics, there may be significant traffic slow-downs on the ring road around the city at any time.
Additionally, tomorrow is the 65th anniversary of a massacre of Algerian protestors by the Paris police in 1961, and a commemorative march and rally is expected beginning at 16:30 at the Grand Rex theater in the 2nd and ending at Place St Michel near Notre Dame. This one may get a bit tense; it depends on how the rest of the day is going.
And in general, lots of smaller rallies and gatherings are expected, especially as people assemble to go to the larger sites. These smaller groups do not present any safety concerns.
What should I do / not do, and safety advice
Other than possible disruptions around the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elysées, major interruptions to most tourist sites and activities are not expected or planned. As usual for major protest days, try to avoid the immediate proximity of the ''traditional'' protest sites of Place de la République, Place de la Bastille, and Place de la Nation, plus for this one (due to the uncertainty in possible routes), try to avoid the Opera in the morning and Place de la Concorde in the later afternoon.
Check all transit itineraries before heading out, as metro stations are likely to close around protest activity.
As far as activities, this would be a good day to avoid the very center of town. It does not look like there will be much activity on the left bank (south of the river). As no significant train or transport disruptions are forecast, this looks like a good day for a day trip, check our day trips tag for inspiration.
Although there will be gatherings and rallies throughout the city, the vast majority do not present any safety concern. If there are going to be problems caused by general bad actors (the famous burning trash cans and probably some broken store windows), those generally occur at the margins of the large marches. So if you are walking in a particular direction and you see a lot of people marching up ahead, just turn around.
The earlier in the day rallies are generally peaceful and in high spirits. There may be some conflicts between the police and marchers as they set out for the march portion of the day, especially if organizers are adamant about following ''non-authorized'' routes. MOST conflicts between police and marchers occur towards the end of the day, when authorized marches reach their end times and the police move in to disperse the crowds. That's when the pepper spray and water cannons and so on come out. You can avoid getting involved in any of this by avoiding large crowds, especially in the late afternoon, and especially if you don't linger in areas where you see heavy concentrations of police.
(See also older general advice further down this post, all of which still stands.)
17-21 October: Strike notice for pilots and flight crew suspended. No strike expected at this time.
5 November: Call for a national strike day. This may have significant effects on transportation in Paris and trains around France. We'll update when more details are available. This is a site I use to keep up on strike information.
Will this affect me as a tourist?
The various rallies and marches are extremely unlikely to affect the vast majority of normal tourist activities.
If you are staying very near one of the usual gathering spots, including République, Place de la Bastille, Place de la Nation, and Place d'Italie, or in the immediate proximity of a high school (search ''lycée'' on maps to see), you may see some signs of protest activity. (But this means VERY near, I live less than 10 minutes walk from République and absolutely nothing is happening in my neighborhood.) If you see a large gathering of people or police preparing for trouble, it would be advisable to remove yourself from the area (this is probably good life advice).
There may be some interruptions to metro service including closures of certain stations if major gatherings are expected in particular areas. IDF Mobilitiés, Bonjour RATP, or CityMapper are various apps that will help you follow these interruptions if necessary.
Should I cancel my trip in {several weeks}?
At this point, this would be a massive over-reaction to protests that are again, localized and within bounds of well-established French ''rules of the road''. The student protests will likely abate during the fall break, from 17-31 October.
Transit strikes may affect your travel, so follow the calendar above and check here for updates if you are coming or going in one of the relevant windows.