The French authorities banned demonstrations in Orleans on Sunday during the rally of the presidential campaign of Marine Le Pen, for fear of disturbances of public order.
© NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP via Getty Images
22/10/2026
by
Lusa
Athe French authorities today banned any demonstration next Sunday in Orleans, where the presidential campaign of the extreme right-wing leader Marine Le Pen will be launched as part of their party congress.
The Loiret department’s (government delegation) department announced today on social networks that the ban on mobilizations on Sunday, for fear of public order disturbances, will apply between 07:00 and 22:00 local (06:00 and 21:00 Lisbon).
A demonstration against racism, fascism and imperialism, supported by about 50 organizations, was called for at 10:30 on Sunday (9:30 in Lisbon).
It was also planned to assemble an “anti-fascist village”, with exhibitors of associations and workshops, in which the presence of political and trade union representatives was expected, including the socialist leader Olivier Faure and the Secretary-General of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), Sophie Binet.
The department governor, Hugues Mouthou, indicated that the arrival in the city is expected to be between 20,000 and 30,000 people from all over the country, including “between 2,000 and 3,000 radical elements”.
The ban on demonstrations was announced on the eve of a weekend of great tension in Orléans, a city of about 116,000 inhabitants, where the National Union extreme right party (RN) will hold its congress.
In addition, Orléans is also preparing on Saturday for a new mobilization of the “yellow vests”, after the October 17 protests against rising cost of living — demonstrations that were marked by acts of violence, damage to public buildings and looting in commercial establishments in several French cities.
Mayor Serge Grouard announced today an exceptional preventive device to avoid disturbances during the weekend.
“ My goal is to protect Orleans. Here there will be no chaos, there will be no ", said the mayor, after expressing concern with possible clashes in the afternoon and on Saturday night and on Sunday.
Municipal measures include the suspension of all electric lines during the Saturday day, the removal of rental bicycles from the centre, the closure of museums and the cancellation of shows. It will also be prohibited to park on the public roads of the city center from midnight on Friday.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced a major reinforcement of security forces to protect Congress, while President Emmanuel Macron said this morning that departmental governors can ban protest actions throughout the country, whenever there is a risk of disturbance of public order.
According to figures updated today by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, 217 people have already been arrested for involvement in violence related to last weekend’s protests in France of a total of 2,700 arrests.
Marine Le Pen’s party also announced today that the Government has committed itself to highlighting 3,000 Republican police and guards to “blow” on Sunday in Orléans, the rally to launch the campaign of the far-right candidate for the presidential elections in France, scheduled for 18 April and 02 May 2027.
“ We are satisfied with this commitment of the State (...). In addition to public security forces, we will have 200 private security agents ", indicated sources of the RN, who estimated between 5,000 and 10,000 the number of sympathizers and militants present at the weekend congress.