Protests against the cost of living: demonstrations, bans and legal proceedings

Context figures

• Intentional destruction and damage – Paris

  "Intentional destruction and damage" (incidents), Paris (75): 18,877 in 2025, i.e., 897 per 100,000 inhabitants (national average: 789). In 2016: 26,883, i.e., 1,227 per 100,000 inhabitants.

  SSMSI (ministère de l'Intérieur), 2025

Reference points

• The demonstrations of October 17, 2026, the first day of mobilisation against the cost of living, were marked by significant police violence and damage, followed by a second day on October 24, 2026. Wikipédia
• The Yellow Vest movement, which emerged in November 2018, organised demonstrations every Saturday, with violent episodes notably on the Champs-Élysées, and led the government to abandon the increase in the TICPE tax and then launch a "great national debate". Wikipédia

Key terms

Prefectural ban on demonstrating

Measure by which the prefect bans a demonstration within the territory of his department; it may be subject to an appeal before the administrative judge, notably by way of summary procedure. Wikipédia · Wikipédia

Summary procedure

Procedure allowing one to ask the judge to order provisional but rapid measures aimed at preserving the rights of the applicant, very often introduced pending a judgment on the merits. Wikipédia

Police custody

Coercive measure decided by a judicial police officer, under the control of the judicial authority, by which a person against whom there is one or more plausible reasons to suspect that they committed or attempted to commit a crime or offence punishable by imprisonment is kept at the disposal of investigators. Wikipédia · Service-public.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative)

Yellow Vests

Unstructured protest movement that appeared in France in November 2018, named after the yellow high-visibility vests worn by demonstrators, born from calls to demonstrate against the rise in fuel prices. Wikipédia

What happens next?

What usually happens in this kind of situation — without prejudging the outcome.

1. Generally, a prefectural ban on demonstrating can be contested before the administrative judge, notably via the summary suspension procedure or the summary liberty procedure, the latter being judged in principle within a 48-hour deadline. Wikipédia
2. Generally, a person placed in police custody is presented to the Public Prosecutor so that this magistrate can assess the next steps in the investigation. Wikipédia

Useful resources

• France Victimes116 006

  Listening, information and support for any victim of an offence or accident, free of charge.

• Porter plainteservice-public.fr

  Steps to file a complaint (police station, gendarmerie, prosecutor, online).