On Thursday 5 November, rail workers strike at SNCF and unions hold a nationwide day of action across France. We follow what matters to drivers: cancelled trains and extra traffic on the roads, marches and closures, fuel.
What comes next, live: 6 and 7 November “six-seven” →Previous mobilisation: 31 October blockades, the round-up →
Updated
Around 2 pm, the Paris union march left place de la République for place de la Nation via boulevard Voltaire (the route set by police; Bastille–Concorde banned). A minute’s silence was held for the victim of the racist attack in Trappes. About thirty metro stations remain closed at the prefecture’s request. Avoid the 11th and boulevard Voltaire this afternoon; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
According to the Interior minister’s circle (Le Parisien, around 1:30 pm), the day of action had drawn “270,000 people” in “180 marches, outside Paris” by 1 pm, generally going well. Separately the CGT counts “over 250,000 demonstrators” in 73 cities at the same time. Interior also reports “tensions” in Lyon (several hundred in a black bloc), incidents at dispersal in Nantes, and in Paris “many wild marches” dispersed then redirected to République ahead of the 2 pm start. Avoid city centres and active march routes; in Paris avoid the 11th (République → Nation via boulevard Voltaire).
Update around midday: the union march, which left the Manufacture des Tabacs around 11 am toward Jean-Macé, is slowed by a hostile group (~500 people per the prefecture) at the front. Barricades, fires, fireworks mortars and projectiles; damage reported on cours Gambetta (temp agency, optician). The prefecture used tear gas at Garibaldi “in self-defence”; some peaceful marchers had to fall back. TCL metro remains stopped. Avoid the route (cours Gambetta, quai Claude-Bernard, avenue Berthelot, Jean-Macé) and the Presqu’île, still banned until 8 pm.
Around 10:20 p.m., the official RER A account reports heavy disruption across the line after a serious person incident at Nanterre-Préfecture. Trains toward Sartrouville / Poissy leave from the Paris-bound platform (platform 1C). Unrelated to the strike, but it complicates late-evening travel. Check RATP / Bonjour RATP / Ma Ligne A before you go.
Around 9:05 p.m., the official RATP Line 6 account says service is restored across the line, after the gradual restart between Charles de Gaulle–Étoile and Kléber. Stations closed earlier at the prefecture’s request were reopened this evening. Still check RATP / Bonjour RATP before you travel.
Between 8:43 and 8:57 p.m., official RATP accounts announce the reopening, with prefecture authorisation, of Tuileries, Argentine, George V, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau, Charles de Gaulle–Étoile and Concorde (line 1), Concorde and Madeleine (line 8), Franklin D. Roosevelt and Miromesnil (line 9), Charles de Gaulle–Étoile (lines 2 and 6), and Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau and Miromesnil (line 13). Line 6 services are gradually resuming between Étoile and Kléber. Check RATP for your journey. Other sources: https://x.com/Ligne6_RATP/status/2118430429929738480 · https://x.com/Ligne13_RATP/status/2118432538892927333
Between 8:52 and 8:56 p.m., RATP announces the reopening, with prefecture authorisation, of Odéon and Saint-Germain-des-Prés (line 4), Sèvres–Babylone, Mabillon, Odéon, Cluny–La Sorbonne and Maubert–Mutualité (line 10), and Sèvres–Babylone, Rue du Bac, Solférino, Assemblée nationale, Concorde and Madeleine (line 12). Check your journey on RATP / Bonjour RATP. Other sources: https://x.com/Ligne4_RATP/status/2118431159382069684 · https://x.com/Ligne10_RATP/status/2118431827966754962
Around 8:30–8:35 p.m., with préfecture de police authorisation, official RATP accounts announce the reopening of Châtelet (lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14) and Les Halles (line 4), plus Charonne and Rue des Boulets (line 9). Still closed notably: Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, Concorde, Madeleine, Argentine, Tuileries, Odéon, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and others. Service still interrupted between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. Check RATP / Bonjour RATP before travelling.
Around 8:14 p.m., the RATP bulletin no longer lists Invalides among the stations closed at the police prefecture’s request. Still closed include Argentine, Assemblée Nationale, Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau, Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, Châtelet, Charonne, Cluny–La Sorbonne, Concorde, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George V, Les Halles, Mabillon, Madeleine, Maubert–Mutualité, Miromesnil, Odéon, Rue des Boulets, Rue du Bac, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Sèvres–Babylone, Solférino and Tuileries. A cut remains between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. Stations reopen when the prefecture allows; check RATP / Bonjour RATP before you travel.
According to the Hauts-de-France / Nord prefecture (statement around 8:10 p.m.), protests in the Nord département are over, with a total of 22,720 protesters including 19,000 in Lille. End of evening: march routes should be clear again; still check Ilévia / SNCF Connect if needed.
Addendum to the Interior Ministry toll (Europe 1 / Le Parisien, around 7:37–7:45 p.m.): besides 575,000 protesters in 193 marches including 65,000 in Paris, the national tally at 6 p.m. reports 448 arrests, 53 police and gendarmerie officers injured, and 86 fire interventions. Figures remain provisional. End of evening: still check RATP / SNCF Connect and avoid any last dispersal routes if needed.
According to an official Interior Ministry count reported around 7:37 p.m. (Europe 1), 575,000 people protested across France on Thursday, including 65,000 in Paris. That evening tally revises the provisional ~5 p.m. estimate (nearly 600,000 including Paris) and the Paris police prefecture’s Paris figure (75,000–80,000). The CGT still claims nearly 1.6 million, including 350,000 in Paris. End of day: still check RATP / SNCF Connect and avoid any last dispersal routes if needed.
Around 6:55–6:57 p.m., with police-prefecture authorisation, official RATP line accounts announce the reopening of Richard-Lenoir (line 5) plus Oberkampf, Voltaire and Saint-Ambroise (line 9), along the former République → Nation march route. Other stations remain closed (including Charonne, Rue des Boulets, Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, Châtelet, etc.) and the Kléber ↔ CDG–Étoile and Châtelet ↔ Hôtel de Ville cuts may still apply. Check RATP / Bonjour RATP before you travel.
Bonjour RATP update (~6:33 p.m.): the prefecture-ordered closed-station list is shorter. Still closed include Argentine, Assemblée Nationale, Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau, Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, Châtelet, Charonne, Cluny–La Sorbonne, Concorde, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George V, Les Halles, Invalides, Mabillon, Madeleine, Maubert–Mutualité, Miromesnil, Oberkampf, Odéon, Richard-Lenoir, Rue des Boulets, Rue du Bac, Saint-Ambroise, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Sèvres–Babylone, Solférino, Tuileries and Voltaire. Cuts remain between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle–Étoile and between Châtelet and Hôtel de Ville. On RER A traffic info (~6:38 p.m.): only Charles de Gaulle–Étoile is still unserved for the protest; the Sucy–Bonneuil ↔ Boissy cut and Val de Fontenay are no longer flagged. Stations reopen when the prefecture allows; check RATP / Bonjour RATP / Ma Ligne A.
Toll given to Le Parisien around 6:27 p.m.: police made 19 arrests around the Toulouse day of action; 19 people were placed in custody, 14 of them still ongoing that afternoon. Keep avoiding the hypercentre and the Saint-Cyprien / Pont des Catalans area if dispersal is not finished; check Tisséo.
Around 4:50 p.m., as the march reached place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, a giant wooden CRS effigy made by students was set on fire; fireworks were followed by tear gas (France 3 Grand Est). Around 6:26 p.m., BFMTV reports Interior minister Laurent Nuñez asked the Bas-Rhin prefect to refer the case to prosecutors (article 40) and strongly condemns the acts. Earlier, Police nationale 67 warned of breakaway marches in the Krutenau area with traffic disruption, and around 5:40 p.m. filtering roadblocks were set around the hypercentre. Unions: 25,000–30,000 in Strasbourg; police: ~10,000. Keep avoiding Krutenau, place de Lattre and the hypercentre until dispersal finishes; give way to police.
Around 6:20–6:22 p.m., a fire broke out on place de la Nation as the end of the march was still arriving (flares around the FSU contingent, per Le Parisien). Firefighters intervened quickly and put it out. Keep avoiding place de la Nation and give way to emergency services; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
According to a police-prefecture count given to Le Parisien around 6:18 p.m., between 75,000 and 80,000 people marched in Paris this afternoon (République → Nation route). That official figure contrasts with the CGT’s claim of 350,000 in Paris. Keep avoiding the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and Nation until dispersal finishes; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
RATP update (~6:16 pm): many stations remain closed at the police prefecture’s request (including Voltaire, Charonne, Oberkampf, Concorde, Madeleine, Châtelet, Les Halles, Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, among others). Cuts are still reported between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, between Châtelet and Hôtel de Ville, and between Rosny – Bois-Perrier and Coteaux Beauclair. Trains pass through without stopping; stations reopen only when the prefecture allows. Take another route and check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
Around 6 pm as night fell, protesters were leaving Place de la Nation calmly (Le Parisien). Around 5:50–6 pm the mood at the arrival point was calm and festive, with some already leaving (actu Paris). Around 6:10 pm the last people who left République were still near the Bataclan on boulevard Voltaire. Keep avoiding the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and Nation until the square clears; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
RATP update (~5:58 pm): RER A service is resuming but remains disrupted across the line after security measures at Boissy-Saint-Léger (the Sucy–Bonneuil ↔ Boissy cut had been estimated until ~6 pm). Expect delays and cancellations. Charles de Gaulle – Étoile is still unserved (prefecture orders). Take another route if needed and check RATP / Bonjour RATP / Ma Ligne A.
Around 5:45 pm, the CGT claims “nearly 1.6 million” protesters across France on Thursday, including 350,000 in Paris (République → Nation). That contrasts with the Interior Ministry’s provisional ~5 pm estimate (nearly 600,000 including Paris). Beauvau’s final tally is still due. Keep avoiding the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and Nation if dispersal is ongoing; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
Around 5:20 pm the march is still struggling to disperse at place de la Nation; many protesters remain on arrival (Le Parisien). A police helicopter is overhead. Earlier a drone message said exit routes are open, dispersal is by small groups, and metros are open. Keep avoiding the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and Nation; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
After a mostly calm march in Bordeaux, tensions rose late afternoon: rioters targeted a gendarmerie truck on cours Alsace-Lorraine and police replied with tear gas (actu Bordeaux). Still avoid the centre, the quays and cours Alsace-Lorraine; check TBM before travelling.
Matignon says Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will bring unions and employers together on Monday 9 November for a “social conference” on purchasing power and wages. He asked the Labour minister to wrap up ongoing talks by Sunday. The announcement comes as roughly 600,000 people marched Thursday, according to a provisional Interior Ministry tally.
Around 4 p.m., police in Nantes used a water cannon and tear gas to disperse the last protesters, according to Ouest-France and France 3 Pays de la Loire (via franceinfo). The Loire-Atlantique prefecture said on X that by 4 p.m., 30 people had been arrested and handed to judicial police. Avoid the city centre (Commerce, Bouffay and nearby streets); give way to police and check Naolib.
According to a franceinfo alert citing a provisional estimate from the Interior Ministry, nearly 600,000 people protested across France on Thursday 5 November. That updates the partial 1 p.m. count (270,000 outside Paris in 180 marches, per the minister’s office). In Paris, the head of the République → Nation march reached Place de la Nation while part of the crowd was still waiting to leave République. Keep avoiding active city centres and march routes; check local traffic info before you travel.
Rhône prefecture toll (around 4:50 pm): 40 injured (34 police, 6 protesters), 24 arrests (fireworks mortars, projectiles, insults) and five shops damaged (including cours Gambetta and place Jean-Macé). France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes says hostile groups are now dispersed. TCL metro remains stopped; the Presqu’île stays off-limits until 8 pm. Keep avoiding Jean-Macé, Berthelot and the Presqu’île; check TCL.
Source: France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / préfecture du Rhône ↗
RER A update (~3:55 pm, official account): La Défense station is served again. Charles de Gaulle – Étoile and Val de Fontenay remain unserved. Service is still suspended between Sucy – Bonneuil and Boissy-Saint-Léger until an estimated 6 pm (prefecture security measures at Boissy), and disrupted on the rest of the line. Take another route if needed and check RATP / Bonjour RATP / Ma Ligne A.
Around 4:25–4:30 pm, the first hundreds then thousands from the front of the union march reach place de la Nation, the end of the République → Nation route via boulevard Voltaire (Le Parisien, actu Paris). Part of the march was still struggling to leave République around 4 pm. After earlier tensions and damage on boulevard Voltaire, police are blocking access to the centre of the square. Keep avoiding the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and the Nation area; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
On Thursday morning, a 16-year-old pupil at Denis-Papin high school in La Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis) was wounded in the chest with a knife near the school, during a student blockade. His life is not in danger; firefighters took him to hospital. A 20-year-old man was placed in custody for carrying a weapon and armed violence (Bobigny prosecutor’s office). Avoid the school area and give way to emergency services.
RATP traffic update (~4:17 pm): service remains suspended between Sucy – Bonneuil and Boissy-Saint-Léger, and disrupted on the rest of the line, due to police-prefecture security measures at Boissy-Saint-Léger. Restart now estimated at 6 pm (earlier estimate was ~4 pm). Val de Fontenay and Charles de Gaulle – Étoile remain unserved. Take another route and check RATP / Bonjour RATP / Ma Ligne A.
Around 4:10 pm, after several minutes stalled on boulevard Voltaire (black bloc and police charges near Charonne / Rue des Boulets), the union march resumed toward place de la Nation, actu Paris confirms. The police prefecture had reported “hooded individuals” committing damage; rue Chanzy was blocked. Le Parisien also reports several injuries during a charge around 3:30 pm. Keep avoiding the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and the Charonne–Nation area; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
Around 3:50 pm, a black bloc formed on boulevard Voltaire near Charonne metro; police are charging and the union march is cut in two. Behind them the march is no longer moving; many people are still stuck on place de la République, almost two hours after the front left. Avoid the 11th, boulevard Voltaire and the Charonne–Nation area; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
The Confédération paysanne filtering roadblock on the RD1075 at Voreppe (roundabout between La Buisse and Voreppe), which also disrupted A48 access toward Grenoble, was lifted between about 12:40 pm and 1:30 pm. Protesters left the roundabout; some were due to head to Voiron. Traffic is possible again in this area; still check local info if you are driving toward Grenoble.
The CGT filtering roadblock at the Transmarck roundabout (Marck), in place since about 5:30 am, was lifted shortly after 8 am. The A16 Marck west exit, temporarily closed, reopened soon after (around 10 am according to local press). The Pas-de-Calais prefect later called the day calm across the département. Traffic is back to normal in this area.
Around 3:25 pm the prefecture reported “several dozen” arrests over damage to a hotel on avenue Janvier and projectiles thrown at police. It also said that as the union march resumed, “unionists were violently attacked by masked individuals”. After earlier charges and tear gas on avenue Janvier, by about 3:37 pm the march was continuing calmly on boulevard de la Liberté. Avoid avenue Janvier, the Gare–Charles-de-Gaulle area and boulevard de la Liberté; check the Star network.
Around 3 pm, more than an hour after leaving République, the union march is still moving toward place de la Nation along boulevard Voltaire in a calm, festive atmosphere (BFMTV, actu Paris). About thirty metro stations remain closed at the prefecture’s request. Keep avoiding the 11th and boulevard Voltaire; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
Update: the administrative court partly suspended the prefecture’s city-centre ban, allowing the original route. The march left Alsace-Lorraine around 11 am and reached place de Verdun by midday without major incidents. Turnout: at least 20,000 per regional press, 28,600 per CGT, 10,400 per the prefecture. Crowds still on place de Verdun at the end; an inter-union general meeting is due at 4 pm at the Maison des associations. Trams C and D remain stopped; avoid the centre and place de Verdun; check M réso.
After the bin fire and gas leak near César Baggio high school (200 m perimeter, evacuations), Ilévia metro line 2 is suspended between Porte des Postes and Lille-Flandres station. Respect the safety perimeter and give way to emergency services; use another mode or route.
Early afternoon, tension rose again around Commerce (tear gas, a bin fire, projectiles) then at place du Bouffay; some protesters also moved toward place Royale (Christmas market being set up). Around 3:10 pm the situation eased somewhat but the centre is still busy. CGT: 35,000. Avoid Commerce, Bouffay and the centre; check Naolib.
After the official march (Réformés → Castellane) ended, clashes broke out; CRS charges and tear gas are reported (Canebière, rue Paradis, cours Julien, rue d’Endoume); access to rue Paradis toward the Old Port is blocked. Turnout: 14,000 per the prefecture, 150,000 per the unions. Avoid the centre and these roads; check Marseille Mobilité / RTM.
Around 3 pm, police are making repeated charges on place Jean-Macé to stop wild marches and are clearing the square; the official march ended there amid tear gas. TCL metro remains stopped; the Presqu’île stays off-limits until 8 pm. Avoid Jean-Macé, Berthelot, Gallieni bridge and the whole Presqu’île; check TCL.
After the main march ended (more than 16,200 per the prefecture), around 2–2:35 pm police dispersed the remaining groups on avenue de Grammont with heavy tear gas; traffic there is blocked. Police put the remaining crowd at about 250; another group of about 100 is reported toward Sanitas. Fil Bleu tram A remains cut between Place Choiseul and Tours station until 4 pm. Avoid avenue de Grammont, place Jean-Jaurès and rue Nationale; check Fil Bleu.
Update around 2:45 pm: at the entrance to Pont des Catalans, police are blocking the march that left Saint-Cyprien despite the prefecture ban; the situation is frozen and tense, with dispersal orders and a threat to use force. CRS had already blocked access to the bridge earlier. Tisséo metro, buses and tram remain disrupted (including Capitole, Esquirol and Jeanne-d’Arc); liO Occitanie has cut Saint-Agne–Colomiers from 1 pm to 6 pm. Avoid Saint-Cyprien, Pont des Catalans and the hypercentre; check Tisséo and SNCF Connect / liO.
Around 2:45 pm, police ordered a charge on avenue Janvier in Rennes and used tear gas; marchers are dispersing along avenue Janvier and cours des Alliés. Around 2:36 pm the prefecture reported a “hostile group” of masked people ahead of the union march and some damage. Several thousand people marched (route place de Bretagne → Colombier → station → avenue Janvier). Avoid avenue Janvier, the Gare–Charles-de-Gaulle area and cours des Alliés; check the Star network.
Around 2:35 pm, operators (SCA ASF / Bison Futé) report a “cultural demonstration” on the hard shoulder of the A7 at PR 79+600 in Étoile-sur-Rhône (Drôme), Marseille → Lyon direction (south–north). Slow down, do not stop on the hard shoulder, and take another route if you can.
Around 2:15 pm, about 1,500 people are gathering at place de la République in Strasbourg for the union march (festive mood, brass band). The official route stays outside the historic Grande Île: République, avenue de la Liberté, quai du maire Dietrich, boulevard de la Victoire, then toward place du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny. Avoid these roads by car this afternoon.
Around 2:25 pm, police say turnout has passed 2,000 at place du Palais de justice in Chambéry, with more people still arriving. Several thousand answered the union call; a brass band is present. The authorised march leaves from this square (avenue des Ducs, then back). Avoid the centre and avenue des Ducs this afternoon.
Around 2:30 pm, the front of the union march reached place Jean-Macé without trouble at arrival. Clashes had continued earlier at pont Gallieni; a BMW fire on avenue Berthelot was put out. Police say they may act to stop a “possible wild march toward Jean-Jaurès”. TCL metro remains stopped; the Presqu’île stays off-limits until 8 pm. Avoid Jean-Macé, Berthelot, Gallieni bridge and the whole Presqu’île; check TCL.
Around 2:30 pm, a large crowd is reaching the quays; the march, which left place de la République around 12:30–1:30 pm, stretches hundreds of metres from Gambetta to the quays toward place de la Victoire (calm atmosphere reported). TBM remains disrupted (line A Mériadeck–Stalingrad and line F Mériadeck–Saint-Michel cut earlier). Avoid the quays, Gambetta, Tourny and the centre; check TBM before you travel.
Around 2 pm, between 1,500 and 2,000 people gathered at place Max-Rouquette (Arceaux) for the march start (3.7 km route toward place de l’Europe), despite an orange rain-flood alert and heavy rain. The Lez flood is closing roads including avenue du Pirée, avenue Maurin and Voie Domitienne; the city also reports closures such as Pont du Contrôle. The historic centre (Écusson) stays off-limits for gatherings until 10 pm. TAM is adjusting trams and buses. Avoid flooded roads and fords; allow extra time around Arceaux and the march route; check TAM and prefecture updates.
Around 2:10 pm, the union march left Saint-Cyprien toward Pont des Catalans, despite the prefecture’s city-centre route ban (upheld by the court). So far police are letting the march through, with some bag searches. On trains, liO Occitanie has suspended service between Saint-Agne and Colomiers from 1 pm to 6 pm on prefectural order; Tisséo may offer alternatives. Metro, buses and tram are also disrupted (including Capitole, Esquirol and Jeanne-d’Arc stations). Avoid Saint-Cyprien, Pont des Catalans and the hypercentre; check Tisséo and SNCF Connect / liO before you travel.
Update around 2 pm (actu Lyon): the march is split upstream and downstream of avenue Berthelot but still moving toward Jean-Macé. Firefighters put out a BMW fire on Berthelot. Clashes continue at pont Gallieni, the gateway toward the Presqu’île. TCL metro remains stopped; the Presqu’île stays off-limits until 8 pm. Avoid Berthelot, Gallieni bridge, the Rhône quays and the whole Presqu’île.
Ouest-France / Presse Océan update: about 32,000 marchers in Nantes (journalist count). The march from the Miroir d’eau toward the university hospital is blocked on cours des 50-Otages / Olivier-de-Clisson; access toward Commerce and Bouffay is cut, including by a water cannon. Tear gas near the CHU after projectiles; the prefect asks people to avoid the area. Four arrests reported. Saint-Nazaire ~4,000 (Ouest-France; ~3,800 police); Ancenis bridge briefly closed then reopened around 1:15 pm. Avoid Nantes city centre and check Naolib.
Update around 1:40 pm (actu Lyon): unions put Lyon turnout at 50,000, the prefecture at 30,500. The front of the march has reached avenue Berthelot; tear gas and a water cannon are in use at pont Gallieni. Per actu Lyon, the black bloc is pushing police back toward the Presqu’île (banned until 8 pm); a car was reportedly set on fire on avenue Berthelot. The peaceful march continues toward Jean-Macé. TCL metro remains stopped. Avoid the route (Rhône quays, Gallieni bridge, Berthelot, Jean-Macé) and the whole Presqu’île.
The Eiffel Tower operating company says on its official site that the monument stays closed on Thursday 5 November "because of the national strike". Visitors with e-tickets should check their email for reschedule or refund info. Some Louvre rooms are also closed. Skip a pointless trip to the Champ-de-Mars; check official sites before any visit.
Ahead of the declared 2 pm march (République → Nation via boulevard Voltaire), the Interior minister’s circle says “many wild marches” in Paris are being systematically handled, dispersed and redirected to place de la République. The police prefecture has confirmed undeclared gatherings since this morning and ongoing transport checks. About thirty metro stations remain closed at the prefecture’s request. Avoid the 11th arrondissement and boulevard Voltaire this afternoon; do not park along the route; check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
After a bin fire outside César Baggio high school in Lille, the Nord prefecture reports a “major gas leak” near a supply line, with a further fire starting. A 200 m security perimeter is in place; residents of nearby buildings are being evacuated. Security forces and emergency services are on site. Avoid the César Baggio school area and give way to emergency vehicles.
Update around 1:20 pm (actu Lyon): the march is moving along the Rhône quays toward Jean-Macé; protesters are massed in front of pont de la Guillotière. Fresh clashes at pont Gallieni: the Rhône prefecture says people are breaking up the sidewalk with a sledgehammer to attack CRS officers, and reports further charges. TCL metro remains stopped; the Presqu’île stays off-limits until 8 pm. Avoid the Rhône quays, Guillotière bridge, Gallieni bridge and the rest of the route (cours Gambetta, avenue Berthelot, Jean-Macé).
RATP / Bonjour RATP update (1:20 pm): the prefecture-ordered closed-station list is longer (about thirty stations, including Argentine, Châtelet, Les Halles, Concorde, Étoile, Voltaire, La Défense, Val de Fontenay, Créteil – Pointe du Lac, Asnières–Les Courtilles, Rosny – Bois-Perrier, Assemblée Nationale, etc.). Service is also cut between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, Châtelet and Hôtel de Ville, Créteil – Pointe du Lac and Créteil – Préfecture, Asnières Gennevilliers – Les Courtilles and Les Agnettes, La Défense and Esplanade de la Défense, Sucy – Bonneuil and Boissy-Saint-Léger, and between Rosny – Bois-Perrier and Coteaux Beauclair. Trains pass through without stopping; stations reopen when the prefecture allows. Before the République → Nation march at 2 pm, take another route and check RATP / Bonjour RATP.
Ouest-France / Courrier de l’Ouest update: more than 10,000 people in Angers per the journalists’ count (above earlier marches, according to FO activists). The march left place Leclerc around 10:30 am along boulevard Foch, boulevard du Roi-René and the riverside roads (voies sur berges); some clashes early near city hall, then calmer. Cholet ~950 (unions; ~850 police); Saumur ~700 (journalists’ count; 600 police, 1,000 unions). Avoid Angers city centre and the riverside roads until the march clears; check Irigo and SNCF Connect.
Update around 12:25 pm (actu.fr, at the police prefecture’s request): Transilien lines N and U are suspended both ways between Suresnes – Mont Valérien and La Défense until 2:30 pm. On RER D, Saint-Denis is no longer served toward Melun/Corbeil, and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges is no longer served toward Creil. On line H, preventive closures at Saint-Denis and Épinay – Villetaneuse toward Paris Gare du Nord until 3 pm. On RER C, Invalides is not served until further notice. (La Défense and Val de Fontenay remain unserved on RER A, as already reported.) Take another route and check Transilien / RATP / Île-de-France Mobilités before you travel.
Midday update (France 3 Normandie): about 12,000 marchers in Caen per the city (26,000 per the unions); 6,100 in Le Havre per the prefecture (including ~2,500 dockers); 9,700 in Rouen already reported. In Rouen, tear gas was again used on rue Jeanne-d’Arc to stop entry into the centre. In Le Havre, the march paused at the courthouse. Avoid city centres and march routes; Rouen’s Astuce metro remains partly cut (Boulingrin–Saint-Sever per earlier reports).
Police and the Indre-et-Loire prefecture put turnout at at least 16,200 in Tours (22,000 per the CGT), above the 17 October figure. The march left place de la Liberté around 10:30 am along avenue de Grammont, rue Nationale and boulevard Béranger to Jean-Jaurès. From 9:30 am to 4 pm, Fil Bleu tram A is cut between Place Choiseul and Tours station (Porte de Loire, Nationale and Jean-Jaurès not served); many buses are diverted. Three arrests reported (including an attempted bin fire at lycée Choiseul). Avoid the centre and rue Nationale; check Fil Bleu before you travel.
Across Dijon Métropole, the Côte-d’Or prefecture bans from Thursday 5 November 8 a.m. to Monday 9 November 8 a.m. the distribution, takeaway sale and purchase of fuel in any portable container (jerrican), and pump sales of domestic heating oil (except justified necessity). Fireworks and pyrotechnic articles are also banned over the same period. Filling a vehicle tank at the pump remains allowed. Do not carry jerricans in the Dijon metro area.
Update: the Haute-Garonne prefecture confirms there are “no injuries” after hooded individuals broke into Marie-Louise Dissard-Françoise high school around 7:45 a.m., set off fireworks mortars and started a fire in the school life office. The fire has been contained; emergency services remain on site. The school stays closed all day. Avoid the area around the school and give way to emergency vehicles.
Update around 12:30 p.m.: the inter-union march, earlier slowed by clashes and tear gas at Garibaldi, has reached Saxe-Gambetta station (3rd arr.). Roughly half the route remains; arrival at Jean-Macé is expected around 3 p.m. Police continue to disperse “high-risk individuals” at the front. TCL metro still shut. Avoid the route (cours Gambetta, Saxe-Gambetta, quai Claude-Bernard, avenue Berthelot, Jean-Macé) and the Presqu’île, still banned until 8 p.m.
The Jura prefecture bans, across the whole département from 4 November 7 p.m. to 9 November 6 a.m., the sale and purchase of fuel in any portable container (jerrican). Filling your vehicle’s tank at the pump remains allowed. Fireworks and some protective equipment are also banned over the same period. Do not carry jerricans in the Jura.
Update around 12:25 p.m. (RATP / RER A account): service is suspended between Sucy – Bonneuil and Boissy-Saint-Léger until an estimated 4 p.m., and disrupted on the rest of the line, due to security measures ordered by the police prefecture (including at Boissy-Saint-Léger). La Défense, Val de Fontenay and Charles de Gaulle – Étoile stations are not served. Use another route and check RATP / RER A traffic info before travelling.
Around 11:40, the inter-union march left Les Réformés toward Place Castellane via Gambetta, cours Lieutaud, the prefecture and rue de Rome. Very large turnout from the start. RTM already heavily disrupted (partial metro, T2 stopped, diverted buses). Avoid the centre and this route; check Marseille Mobilité / RTM before leaving.
Mid-morning update: the prefecture reports 9,700 demonstrators in Rouen (20,000 per the unions). Tear gas was used to disperse groups facing police at the bottom of rue Jeanne-d’Arc. The march also used the Guillaume-le-Conquérant bridge. Avoid the quays, city centre and march routes; Astuce metro remains cut between Boulingrin and Saint-Sever as previously reported.
SNCF reports very heavy disruption on regional TER trains around Nice, especially Grasse–Ventimiglia and Nice–Breil–Tende (e.g. after the 7:38 from Grasse toward Ventimiglia, the next listed at 9:38). Lignes d’Azur buses and trams run normally. March from Nice-Ville station at 10:00 toward Place Masséna. Check your train on SNCF Connect before leaving and avoid the city centre during the march.
For the day of action, the Rhône prefecture bans buying and carrying fuel in jerricans across the département, as well as fireworks and gear meant to shield against police action. Filling your vehicle’s tank remains allowed. Do not carry jerricans in the Rhône.
Ahead of the march (place de la République to Victoire around 12:30 pm), TBM reports interruptions: line A between Mériadeck and Stalingrad, line F between Mériadeck and Saint-Michel. The situation may change. The city asks residents to bring bins indoors. Avoid the centre and the route (République, Gambetta, Tourny, quays, cours Victor-Hugo / Pasteur); check TBM before you leave.
The union march leaves at 2 pm from place Max Rouquette (Arceaux) toward place de l’Europe on a roughly 3.7 km route agreed with the prefecture, avoiding the city centre. The Hérault prefecture bans protests in the centre from 8 am to 10 pm. TAM will adjust trams and buses in real time. Avoid the hypercentre and the march roads in the afternoon; check TAM before you leave.
The union march left the Miroir d’eau around 11 am and is crossing the city centre toward the university hospital; a police commissioner puts turnout at about 20,000. The prefecture activated its departmental operations centre and banned undeclared protests in the hypercentre from 8 am to 6 pm. Until 2:30 pm Naolib is cutting several trams and buses (tram 1 Commerce–Duchesse-Anne, tram 2 terminus at 50-Otages, tram 3 Bretagne–Hôtel-Dieu, Busway 4 terminus at Duchesse-Anne, plus several bus lines). Avoid the centre and the march route; check Naolib and SNCF Connect.
This afternoon two Alpine marches are set for 2 pm. In Annecy, meet on the Pâquier opposite the prefecture; the Haute-Savoie prefecture bans marches in a city-centre perimeter (old town, shopping centres and public buildings). Unions challenged the order; the Grenoble administrative court’s ruling was expected this morning. In Chambéry, the march leaves place du palais de justice, with no prefectural restriction announced. Avoid Annecy’s centre and allow extra time around these routes.
The union march left avenue Alsace-Lorraine shortly after 11 am. The Isère prefect bans any gathering in the city centre; unions say they will keep the declared route toward place de Verdun and have appealed to the administrative court, whose ruling was not yet known at the start. Trams C and D remain stopped; from 10 am M réso reports no trams through the centre. Avoid the centre and march axes; follow instructions on the ground.
Update: the Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture has approved a route for the Rennes union march. It leaves place de Bretagne, then follows boulevard de la Tour d’Auvergne, boulevard du Colombier, boulevard de Beaumont, place de la gare, avenue Janvier and boulevard de la Liberté, returns to place de Bretagne, then continues to place Charles-de-Gaulle. From noon, Star city-centre stops along the route will not be served. Avoid this southern centre area by car this afternoon; the west ring road and several roundabouts were already difficult this morning.
Update (RATP / Bonjour RATP, 10:30 am): the prefecture-ordered closed-station list is wider and now includes Châtelet, Les Halles, Argentine, Richard-Lenoir, Franklin D. Roosevelt and George V, on top of stations already flagged (Concorde, Madeleine, Invalides, Étoile, Voltaire, etc.). Traffic is also cut between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, and between Châtelet and Hôtel de Ville. Trains pass through without stopping; stations reopen when the prefecture allows. Prefer another route before the République–Nation march at 2 pm.
The administrative court confirms the prefecture’s route for the 2 pm union march. It leaves place de la République, then avenue de la Liberté, quai du maire Dietrich, boulevard de la Victoire, avenue du général de Gaulle, rue de Rome, rue du Maréchal Juin, rue de Lausanne and quai du général Koenig, ending at place du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny (outside the Grande Île historic centre). Avoid these roads by car in the afternoon. An A35 blockade announced this morning is not confirmed as having taken place.
Update: the Brittany / Ille-et-Vilaine prefect reports ongoing “urban violence” in Rennes. Masked groups are trying to build barricades on traffic routes; trash fires have been lit outside several lycées. Petanque balls were thrown at police outside lycée Bréquigny. Security forces are clearing the obstacles. Avoid the centre and flagged school areas; bypass the already difficult western ring road.
Update: the administrative court rejected the unions’ appeal and upheld the ban on the city-centre route (Saint-Cyprien – Jean-Jaurès). Only the loop from Les Arènes remains authorised. The local union alliance nonetheless says it will keep the start on the banned route, with trucks and sound systems. Expect confusion around 2 pm: avoid the hypercentre and Saint-Cyprien, and follow instructions on the ground.
Update around 10:20 am: the Confédération paysanne filtering roadblock on the RD1075 at Voreppe (roundabout between La Buisse and Voreppe) is still in place. The A48 access ramp is closed at the Minotaure roundabout; access toward Grenoble remains possible the other way, and toward Lyon via Saint-Egréve. Operators report about a 3.2 km jam on the A48 toward Grenoble between Voreppe and Saint-Egréve. Bypass Voreppe and the RD1075 if you can.
The prefecture has set the Lille regional march route: leave around 2:30 pm near Porte de Paris (boulevard Denis Papin at boulevard Louis XIV), then boulevards Jean-Baptiste Lebas and Victor Hugo, rue de Wazemmes, rue d’Iéna, boulevard Montebello, boulevard Bigo Danel, place du Maréchal Leclerc, rue Nationale and rue de Solférino; disperse at place Sébastopol. The city centre stays off the route. Avoid these roads by car in the afternoon and allow extra time around Wazemmes.
Update: RATP confirms that from 10:45 am (not 11:00) 25 stations close at the police prefecture’s request, including Concorde, Madeleine, Invalides, Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, Tuileries, Oberkampf, Voltaire and Rue des Boulets. Traffic is cut between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. Trains pass through without stopping; stations reopen when the prefecture allows. Avoid these connections and allow extra time before the République–Nation march at 2 pm.
Around 7:45 am, hooded individuals entered lycée Marie-Louise Dissard-Françoise in Tournefeuille (west of Toulouse), fired fireworks mortars and set fire to the school office area. Students were evacuated and the school closed for the day; a large firefighting response is on site. No official confirmation of injuries at the time of reporting; some people may have been affected by smoke. Avoid the school area and give way to emergency services.
Since about 5:45 am, around fifty CGT Calais local union activists have held a filtering roadblock at the Transmarck roundabout. Exit 48 is closed to traffic. Avoid the Transmarck / Marck area and take another route. A march also left Calais station this morning; the Port of Calais remains disrupted between 11:00 and 15:00.
Because of the national strike and city-centre marches, RTM reports slight metro disruption, trams at about 70% and buses at about 50%. Stations Noailles, Réformés Canebière, Castellane and Estrangin are not served (metro trains pass through); tram T2 is suspended. Many bus lines are diverted around Les Réformés, Castellane and lycée Diderot. Prefer another mode or check Marseille Mobilité / RTM before you leave, and avoid the centre during the march.
Around 8:30 am, a seven-vehicle pile-up occurred on the A48 toward Grenoble at Saint-Jean-de-Moirans after traffic slowed. One person was lightly injured and treated. The crash caused a major jam. Slow down and take another route if you can.
The march leaves place Leclerc around 10:30 am, then boulevard Foch, boulevard du Roi-René and the riverside roads. Expect difficult traffic in the centre. Irigo buses and trams are adapted; Aléop TER in Pays de la Loire runs about three trains in five. Check Irigo and SNCF Connect before you leave and avoid the march route.
The Port of Calais warns of significant disruption on Thursday between 11:00 and 15:00 due to a dockworkers’ strike (CGT Ports and Docks call). Delays are possible for freight and passengers on the Calais–Dover route. Contact your ferry operator before you leave and allow extra time.
About fifty people are blocking the STGA bus depot on rue de Bordeaux in Angoulême. According to franceinfo, no buses are running on the möbius / STGA network this morning. Use another way to get around and check STGA updates before you leave.
The prefecture accepted the new route: start around 10:00 from cours Clemenceau (left bank), then the Guillaume-le-Conquérant, Jeanne-d’Arc, Boieldieu and Pierre-Corneille bridges along the Seine. Astuce metro is not running between Boulingrin and Saint-Sever; several centre bus lines are disrupted. The filtering roadblock on avenue du Grand Cours is still reported. Avoid the quays and the centre during the march.
All four metro lines A, B, C and D plus funiculars F1 and F2 are stopped. Trams T2, T5, T6 and T7 run normally; T1, T3 and T4 are slowed or partial. Seven bus lines are cancelled. The march leaves at 10:30 from Manufacture des Tabacs to place Jean Macé via cours Gambetta, quai Claude Bernard and avenue Berthelot; the city centre remains off-limits. Prefer tram or car outside the centre and check TCL before you go.
After dispersals around lycées Charlemagne and Sophie-Germain (4th arrondissement), a small mobile march is blocking rue de Rivoli near Saint-Paul station. Avoid the Saint-Paul / Rivoli area by car this morning and take another route.
The march leaves place de la République around 12:30 pm, then place Gambetta, allées de Tourny and Porte de Bourgogne, ending at place de la Victoire (about 4 km). Trams and buses are partly disrupted (about 5% of drivers on strike plus route cuts). TER in Nouvelle-Aquitaine: roughly one train in two. Avoid the city centre during the march.
Trams C and D are not running. Line A is limited to Étoile–Malherbe from 10 am; line B is split; line E is replaced by a bus shuttle. Several Chrono and Proximo routes are shortened or diverted from 11 am. The main union march leaves the station at 11 am (city centre banned by the prefecture). Check M réso before you travel and avoid driving through the centre around midday.
The administrative court upholds the ban on the Saint-Cyprien–Jean-Jaurès route through the city boulevards. The only authorised march is a roughly 4 km loop starting and ending at Les Arènes, via boulevard Déodat-de-Séverac, avenue de Muret, then allées Charles-de-Fitte and Étienne-Billières. CGT still calls for a 2 pm meet at Saint-Cyprien, so expect confusion. Avoid the hypercentre and Saint-Cyprien this afternoon.
The Eure prefecture bans the transport and use of fuel (and fireworks) in Evreux, Pont-Audemer and Gisors for the day of action. Filling your vehicle’s tank remains allowed; do not carry jerricans in these towns. Local marches leave at 10 am.
Update: the filtering roadblock announced near Voreppe has been in place since about 7 am. According to Le Dauphiné, the Confédération paysanne is occupying the roundabout between La Buisse and Voreppe on the RD1075 (gendarmes blocked access to the original spot near the motorway). About a hundred people and tractors; cars pass drop by drop. Heavy jams form upstream and downstream. Bypass Voreppe and the RD1075 if you can.
Police nationale 76 reports a filtering roadblock on avenue du Grand Cours in Rouen, toward Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray (boulevard Industriel – quai Jacques-Anquetil area, entrance to the Saint-Sever district). Avoid the area and take another route.
According to police and actu.fr, blockades are intensifying on Rennes’s ring road and key junctions. Traffic on the west ring road (inner direction) is very difficult; the Saint-Brieuc roundabout (Villejean) and the Gayeulles roundabout are also blocked. The Star network is heavily disrupted: metro stations J.F. Kennedy and Villejean-Université closed since 7:15 am; many bus lines disrupted or suspended; from noon, no city-centre stops along the march route. Avoid the west ring road and prefer the metro except at the closed stations.
Outside Paris, several large marches start in the morning. Lyon: leaves at 10:30 am from Manufacture des Tabacs, then cours Gambetta and quai Claude Bernard to place Jean Macé. Marseille: leaves at 10:30 am from Les Réformés toward place Castellane via Baille and cours Lieutaud. Nice: leaves at 10 am from the SNCF station toward place Masséna, skirting the shopping centre. Avoid these roads by car during the marches.
The Mistral bus and boat-bus network reports heavy disruption on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November: 51% of drivers (excluding boat crew) are on strike. About twenty daytime lines are suspended for one or both days; night lines and some accessibility services are also affected. City-centre marches may force bus diversions. Check live Mistral updates before you travel.
According to the Var prefecture, about fifty people and vehicles have been blocking Toulon’s eastern entrance at the Bir-Hakeim roundabout since 7:30 am. The third lane is closed; national police and motorway CRS have set diversions at the tunnel entrance and at porte des Oliviers (boulevard Léon-Bourgeois). A50 exit 17 “Toulon Centre” is closed for now, with difficult traffic toward Marseille. Prefer Saint-Jean-du-Var or La Rode to reach the centre. The roadblock was due to end around 9 am before the march leaves place d’Armes at 9:30 am.
According to Le Parisien, 28% of service stations in Paris report a supply issue this Thursday, versus about 12% nationwide. Shortages mainly affect SP95, SP98 and SP95-E10, and sometimes diesel; they do not always cover every fuel at the same station. Check availability before you go and fill up away from march areas.
School blockades are disrupting traffic around several Paris lycées. According to actu.fr, Charlemagne and Sophie-Germain (4th arrondissement), the Maurice-Ravel school complex and lycée Hélène-Boucher are blocked; an improvised gathering is under way near porte de Vincennes. BFMTV estimates one lycée in three is disrupted in the capital. Prefer another route near these schools and allow extra time this morning.
A blockade is announced on the A35 near Strasbourg from 8 am. In Isère, the Confédération paysanne farmers' union is running a filtering roadblock at Voreppe, near an A48 toll plaza. More than 250 actions are announced nationwide: allow extra time and avoid flagged roundabouts.
The police prefecture banned the Bastille–Concorde route proposed by the unions, and the administrative court rejected their appeal. The march leaves place de la République at 2 pm for place de la Nation via boulevard Voltaire. Avoid driving in the 11th arrondissement in the afternoon and don't park along the route.
At the police prefecture's request, RATP is closing 25 stations from 11 am, including Concorde, Madeleine, Invalides, Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau, Odéon, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and, along boulevard Voltaire, Oberkampf, Saint-Ambroise, Voltaire, Charonne and Rue des Boulets. Line 6 is cut between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle – Étoile. Trains pass through without stopping and connections are not available; stations reopen when the prefecture allows. The rest of the metro, buses and trams run normally.
SNCF says TGV services are slightly disrupted (1 in 10 cancelled) and Intercités and TER services are disrupted. In Île-de-France: RER D runs 1 train in 3 (worst hit), RER C and lines H, N, R and U 1 in 2, RER E and lines J and L 2 in 3, RER B 1 in 2 north and 2 in 3 south. RER A and lines K, P and V run normally. Check your train on SNCF Connect or Transilien before leaving; if you drive instead, expect busier roads.
What we know as of Monday, 2 November
