The Rhône prefecture has decided to prohibit all gatherings and marches planned in the French city of Lyon for this Saturday, after the serious incidents recorded the previous weekend during a demonstration against the rising cost of living, which ended with numerous businesses looted, clashes with the police, and nearly 200 people arrested.
The resolution is adopted in response to a new call to mobilize and as a direct response to the disturbances of last Saturday. "In light of the call to mobilization that is circulating and in view of the events of October 17, the prefect has decided to prohibit by decree any demonstration in the city of Lyon this Saturday, October 24," the prefecture indicated in a statement released this Thursday on social media.
The Rhône prefect, Étienne Guyot, specified that the measure was taken after confirming that the restrictions imposed during the last three nights have contributed to restoring calm to the streets of the affected area. According to the French Administration, no new serious incidents against public order have occurred during that interval.
Last Saturday, the center of Lyon was the scene for several hours of serious disturbances, especially in the vicinity of Bellecour Square, where thousands of people gathered to denounce the rising cost of living. The prefecture estimates that around 20,000 protesters attended the call.
The authorities counted between 150 and 200 looting incidents — total or partial — in commercial establishments, in addition to the attack on a tourist office located in Bellecour Square, which was set on fire and completely destroyed. The city's mayor, the ecologist Grégory Doucet, described what happened as "chaos."
The police and judicial balance of the weekend resulted in around 200 arrests, according to data provided by the Lyon Prosecutor's Office. Most of those arrested were adults suspected of crimes of theft, property damage, and concealment of stolen objects.
Extension of the curfew in the center of Lyon
The prohibition of demonstrating this Saturday adds to other measures already in place to curb violence, including the extension of the curfew in the center of Lyon, which had been in effect for three nights and will remain active between 11:00 PM this Thursday and 6:00 AM on Friday. The ban affects demonstrations, processions, parades, meetings, and reivindicative gatherings in public spaces within the perimeter set by the authorities.
The Administration defends that these limitations are a proportionate response to the events that occurred since last Saturday and that they allow businesses and services to remain open during the night, while residents regain the usual use of their neighborhood.
In this line, the official note emphasizes that the decisions made offer a formula that combines "reassuring and effective security and protection" for businesses and the city's residents.
The decision is known after the prefecture prevented the holding of another protest called for the afternoon of this Thursday by the student union UNEF (National Union of Students of France) and the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA).
Exceptions to the curfew and police controls
Despite the device, bars, restaurants, cinemas, and theaters will be able to remain open, and both public transport and vehicle circulation will continue to be authorized. The authorities have also provided exceptions for "properly justified" movements.
Movements for "urgent" family reasons are also allowed, to assist vulnerable people or take care of minors, as well as the transit of vehicles without stops on the roads crossing the restricted area.
Among the exceptions are also officials and employees performing public service or general interest tasks, particularly in the fields of security, emergencies, health, transport, sanitation, and essential networks. Journalists and other media professionals will be able to move for work reasons, as will elected officials when acting in the exercise of their functions.
Security forces will again be deployed on the ground to carry out the "necessary" controls and verify that the presence of people within the perimeter corresponds to one of the authorized assumptions.
The prefect of Rhône has taken advantage of the statement to thank the Police and the Gendarmerie for "continuing to be mobilized" to ensure compliance with the measures. "The law enforcement forces remain mobilized to enforce the orders," the Administration has reminded.