Update — Paris protest route filed Oct. 27 for Saturday, Oct. 31; Nov. 5 rail strike still on.
October 27, 2026 — Update: Organizers of the Yellow Vests protests have filed a route for a march through central Paris on Saturday, October 31, from Bastille to Concorde via République and Opéra. Police have not yet said whether they’ll allow it. On the same day, sit-ins are planned at 2 p.m. outside the National Assembly and town halls across France. The national strike on Thursday, November 5, including SNCF trains, is still planned.
Saturday, October 31: protests
- Who: the Yellow Vests coordination group, calling it “Act III.”
- What: rallies and sit-ins at 2 p.m. outside the National Assembly and town halls nationwide, including Paris arrondissement town halls, plus a filed march route from Bastille to Concorde through République and Opéra.
- Still to be decided: the Paris police prefecture can approve the route, change it, or move the march to the outskirts, as it did on October 24.
- Curfews: nighttime curfews have been used around Place de la République and Les Halles since the October 17 protests; current status TBA.
Metro stations that could close (not confirmed)
| If this goes ahead | Stations that could close |
|---|---|
| National Assembly protest | Assemblée nationale and Solférino (line 12), Invalides (lines 8, 13, RER C), Concorde (lines 1, 8, 12) |
| Bastille–Concorde march | Also Bastille, République, Opéra and Madeleine |
For comparison, on October 24 police closed 24 metro stations from 9 a.m., suspended part of line 12, shut several line 1 stations, partly suspended tram T3 and changed about 15 bus routes. Closures are usually announced the day before or that morning.
Thursday, November 5: national strike
The CGT has called a general strike from November 5, and the CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA and FSU have issued a joint call. At SNCF, CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots have called a strike that day, so TGV, Intercités and TER trains may be disrupted. Impact on Paris RER and Transilien trains is undecided, and no RATP metro strike notice had been reported. SNCF usually publishes its forecast about 48 hours ahead (TBA).
What it means for airline travelers
- Arriving in Paris on Saturday afternoon? Avoid the central stations listed above, and check RATP and police prefecture updates that morning before taking the metro or RER into town.
- Stay away from protest areas, and if you’re staying near République or Les Halles, check whether a curfew is in force.
- If you’re connecting by TGV on November 5, have a backup: book a flexible ticket, travel a day earlier, or plan to fly on a domestic flight (seats will fill fast if trains are cancelled).
- US citizens can enroll in STEP and Canadians in Registration of Canadians Abroad for embassy alerts.
Sources
- Sortiraparis — October 31 protest: what to expect in Paris? The details (updated Oct. 27)
- Sortiraparis — General strike on November 5, 2026: transport and schools brace for a large turnout
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