48.87° N · 2.36° E — Place de la République, Paris

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Paris Brings In a Curfew Around République and Les Halles

Paris has reimposed its curfew around Place de la République and Les Halles for a second night, 23:00 on 20 October to 06:00 on 21 October, after riots.

Jeff CameronOctober 19, 20264 min read

Checked at the source7 sources, linked

Update, 21 October (evening): The curfew is in place for a third night. Order n°2026-01400, signed by the Préfecture de police on 21 October, bans people from moving about from 23:00 on Wednesday 21 October to 06:00 on Thursday 22 October, in the same two areas as before: the central square of Place de la République and the Les Halles sector bounded by Place Maurice Quentin, Rue Berger, Passage des Lingères, Boulevard de Sébastopol, Rue Rambuteau and Allée André Breton. Residents who can show they live inside the areas, people who have to work there, shopkeepers and emergency services are exempt. The préfecture has also issued separate orders for Thursday 22 October covering the secondary-school and student protests, including a ban on one planned demonstration. The first two nights ran under orders n°2026-01371 (19–20 October) and n°2026-01382 (20–21 October). Check the préfecture’s orders page each afternoon; orders so far have been issued one night at a time.

Paris police have barred anyone from being in two small parts of central Paris overnight, after riots and looting that followed Saturday’s nationwide protests. The curfew covers the central square of Place de la République and a sector of Les Halles, from 23:00 on Monday 19 October to 06:00 on Tuesday 20 October.

For travellers, the practical impact is narrow: the zones are a few blocks, the hours are overnight, and the rest of Paris is open. But the order follows a weekend of violence, unauthorized gatherings are banned in several other areas tonight, and the authorities can extend or widen the measures at short notice. Clients in Paris this week, including families going for UK half-term, should plan evenings around the closures and check for updates each day.

What the order says

The Préfecture de police signed Arrêté n°2026-01371 on 19 October. It states that between 23:00 Monday and 06:00 Tuesday, “la circulation des personnes est interdite” (people may not move about) in two areas:

Place de la République: the central raised square (terre-plein central), in the 10th and 11th arrondissements.
Les Halles: a sector bounded by Place Maurice Quentin, Rue Berger (from Place Maurice Quentin to Boulevard de Sébastopol), Passage des Lingères, Boulevard de Sébastopol (from Rue Berger to Rue Rambuteau), Rue Rambuteau (from Boulevard de Sébastopol to Allée André Breton) and Allée André Breton. That is the area around the Forum des Halles.

The curfew applies to everyone, not only minors. Residents who can show they live inside the zones, people who must get to work there, emergency services and shopkeepers are exempt.

The order cites the president’s address on Sunday 18 October, which, it says, instructed prefects, working with mayors, to toughen their response to the unrest.

Protest ban in other areas tonight

A second order, Arrêté n°2026-01372, bans people taking part in undeclared marches and gatherings in mapped zones of Paris from 20:00 Monday to 06:00 Tuesday. Inside those zones, carrying weapons, fireworks, fuel and other flammable liquids, or protective gear meant to resist police is also banned.

The order gives the reasons. On 18 October, rioters occupied the centre of Place de la République and looted shops around Châtelet-Les Halles, and there was damage near the Champs-Élysées. It also names Place de la Bastille and the main railway stations (Saint-Lazare, Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est, Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse) as gathering points where undeclared protests should be stopped.

The ban targets protesters, not people passing through. Travellers using those stations tonight can expect a heavy police presence.

What governments are advising

United Kingdom: the FCDO updated its France advice on 19 October. It warns that local curfews may be introduced at short notice and tells travellers to check local media.
United States: the U.S. Embassy in Paris issued a security alert on 19 October. It tells Americans to avoid demonstrations and to be careful near large gatherings. It also says to check the RATP for Metro station closures and to confirm flights with their airline. France remains at Level 2 (“exercise increased caution”) in the State Department’s advisory.

What to watch

Renewal. The curfew is dated for one night. Check the préfecture’s arrêtés page each afternoon for a new order and any change to the zones.
Other cities. The FCDO says curfews can be introduced locally at short notice. Clients touring beyond Paris should check the prefecture for each département they visit.
Transport. Châtelet-Les Halles is a major Metro and RER interchange, and République a major Metro hub. Check the RATP for any closures before travelling at night.

We’ll update this page as the orders change. For other live disruption, see Alerts.

For advisors

Don't cancel Paris trips over this.: The curfew zones are small and overnight. Outside them, the orders place no limits on visitors.
Brief clients staying near République or Les Halles.: Guests who return to a hotel inside a zone after 23:00 should carry their booking confirmation or other proof of address. Better still, plan to be back before 23:00 while the curfew lasts.
Families going for half-term (late October): check our UK half-term disruption watch and the school holidays guide. Avoid evening plans around République, Bastille and Les Halles.
Insurance.: Remind clients that standard policies often exclude disruption from civil unrest unless the government advises against travel. Check the wording before promising cover.

7 primary sources

48.87° N · 2.36° E — Place de la République, Paris

Sources

Where to stay near Place de la République, Paris

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Jeff Cameron Contributor, Neighbourhoods & Business of Travel

Jeff Cameron writes about neighbourhoods and the business of travel for Not An Atlas, usually from a desk buried in maps, beside a mug of tea big enough to count as carry-on. His first trip was to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where dipping his feet in the Gulf felt like a major expedition, and he's still chasing that first shock of “the ocean can be warm?” He always takes the window seat (nobody climbs over him to get to the washroom), lands already briefed thanks to an audiobook or two about wherever he's going, and sizes up every city by its first cup of coffee. He'll happily walk 45,000 steps in a day to find the side streets where a place really lives. Kraków, Utrecht and Turin are the underrated favourites he'd go back to tomorrow. Friends say curious, candid and composed. His mom says contrary, and she's probably right. Next stop: anywhere a first-class, round-the-world ticket will take him.

Sources are linked above. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.

Paris Brings In a Curfew Around République and Les Halles

What the order says

Protest ban in other areas tonight

What governments are advising

What to watch

Sources

Where to stay near Place de la République, Paris

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