France Today: 31 October 2026, protest marches, film festivals and auctions

Saturday brings a third day of protests against the cost of living in Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux, with the routes and security measures changing up to the last minute. Inflation is also rising, and diesel prices are starting to fall.

City news

Bordeaux fills November with film festivals

Bordeaux and the surrounding region have a full cinema programme in November, with the Fifib, Musical Écran, the Festival du film d’histoire, Premiers Regards and Afriques en vision, bringing previews and new discoveries. Outside the cinema, the month also includes music from Isulia, performances from Hors Jeu / En Jeu and literary events from Lettres du monde.

Source: Rue89 Bordeaux

Lyon advises early visits to the Guillotière cemetery

The Ville de Lyon is concerned that Saturday’s cost-of-living march could affect access to the cimetière de la Guillotière. As a precaution, it asks people to visit graves before 12.30 on Saturday or during the day on Sunday 1 November, which is All Saints’ Day, when many families in France visit graves. The city has not ruled out further measures.

Source: Lyon Capitale

Paris exhibition traces Maghrebi roots in French film

In Paris, the Musée de l’histoire de l’immigration at Porte Dorée is showing “Une histoire du cinéma français, héritages maghrébins”, an exhibition about films made by artists from immigrant backgrounds. franceinfo calls it a rare and necessary look at a little-known part of French history.

Source: franceinfo Société

Criminals’ seized assets go under the hammer in Bordeaux

In Bordeaux, the Agrasc, the state agency that manages assets seized from offenders, will auction 182 confiscated lots at the École nationale de la magistrature on Tuesday 10 November. The lots include sports cars, luxury jewellery and gold bars. The money will go to compensating victims and funding public services.

Source: France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Barbès loses its Gibert Joseph bookshop

In Paris, the Gibert Joseph shop in Barbès closes for good this Saturday evening, 13 years after it opened. Two of the chain’s shops were due to close after a court-supervised recovery plan (redressement judiciaire) was announced at the end of July. Staff describe the closure as heartbreaking.

Source: France 3 Paris Île-de-France

Strikes, protests and transport disruption

Paris march route went back and forth in the courts

In Paris, the préfecture de police had banned both routes that the Gilets jaunes and the unions had filed for marches starting at Bastille. The tribunal administratif then overturned that ban. France 3’s guide to the day also covers security measures, restrictions and metro closures.

Source: France 3 Paris Île-de-France

Tighter security for Lyon’s march

Lyon holds another day of protest on Saturday against the cost of living and insecure work, and for better conditions for students. The last two Saturdays saw a lot of damage, and this one is also Halloween, so the authorities have stepped up security. France 3 lists the authorised route, the area where protests are banned, a curfew and the effect on transport.

Source: France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Conseil d’État has the final word on the Paris route

In Paris, the Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, has cancelled the tribunal administratif’s ruling in favour of a Bastille to Nation route. Marchers will instead walk between porte de Bagnolet and porte de Charenton, the route the préfecture de police wanted. This is the latest decision and replaces the earlier ones.

Source: franceinfo

Unions welcomed a ruling that was later overturned

In Paris on Friday 30 October, the tribunal administratif approved the Bastille to Nation route filed with the préfecture de police by several unions, including the CGT. Supporters called it a victory for the social movement and for students. The Conseil d’État later reversed the decision, as reported above.

Source: France 3 Paris Île-de-France

Bordeaux allows marches but bans gatherings in key areas

In Bordeaux, the préfecture de la Gironde has accepted the routes proposed by the joint union group (intersyndicale) for Saturday 31 October and Thursday 5 November. To prevent looting during the day and evening, it is also banning protests and gatherings in the city centre and at the Bordeaux Lac and Mérignac Soleil shopping centres.

Source: Rue89 Bordeaux

Cost of living

What the figures say about purchasing power

Driven by higher energy prices, inflation reached 3.4% over the year to October. Many people in France feel their purchasing power is falling, and franceinfo looks at whether the figures support that.

Source: franceinfo Économie

Diesel prices start to fall

After several weeks of increases, diesel falls by 10 centimes from Saturday 31 October at more than 700 TotalEnergies stations. Other fuel sellers will follow from Monday 2 November, but not all of them can cut pump prices as quickly.

Source: franceinfo Économie

Inflation at its highest since January 2024

Insee, the national statistics office, estimates inflation at 3.4% over the year to October, the highest level since January 2024, mainly because of higher energy prices. These figures are provisional, and the final results are due on 13 November.

Source: franceinfo Économie

What it means for foreign residents

• If you are travelling in Paris, plan around the porte de Bagnolet to porte de Charenton route and check for metro closures before you set off (franceinfo, France 3 Paris Île-de-France).
• If you want to visit a grave at the cimetière de la Guillotière in Lyon this weekend, go on Saturday morning or on Sunday (Lyon Capitale).
• In Bordeaux, expect restrictions in the city centre and at the Bordeaux Lac and Mérignac Soleil shopping centres on protest days (Rue89 Bordeaux).
• Diesel drivers may find lower prices at TotalEnergies stations before other brands lower theirs (franceinfo Économie).

France Today is a curated digest: we summarise and link, the reporting belongs to the publications named. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.