The essentials
Only union-organized demonstrations will be authorized in France on Saturday, 24 October, according to Macron's announcement.
President Emmanuel Macron has announced that only demonstrations organized by unions will be authorized on Saturday, 24 October. Government bans on protests in several cities apply to that day, leaving union-organized demonstrations as the only permitted form. In Paris, only one protest route has been authorized, between Bastille and Nation.
The CGT has called for a generalized strike in companies on 5 November 2026. Earlier, the Rhône prefect announced the ban in Lyon orally, without a formal order, and Lyon mayor Grégory Doucet publicly opposed the general ban on demonstrations.
The Adelico association and the Syndicat de la magistrature have filed an appeal with the Conseil d'État against the union-only ban. Sophie Binet stated that CGT marches are not authorized in Caen, Chambéry and Perpignan.
The available reporting does not state the legal grounds cited for the bans, the timetable for the Conseil d'État's review, or how many people the Paris route can accommodate.
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A Single Dividing Line Separates Permitted and Banned Gatherings Saturday
The rule ties permission to who organizes a gathering rather than to its subject. Demonstrations organized by unions are authorized on 24 October, while other gatherings are barred in several cities. Paris allows one route, between Bastille and Nation. Whether this distinction holds will depend partly on the Conseil d'État appeal, which has not yet been resolved.
Groups Outside Union Structures Face Bans and Turn to the Courts
For gatherings not organized by unions, the ban removes the option of marching on 24 October in the affected cities. The Adelico association and the Syndicat de la magistrature have challenged the measure before the Conseil d'État. Sophie Binet has said CGT marches are also not authorized in Caen, Chambéry and Perpignan, showing that union-led events face restrictions in some places too.