France and Germany prepare for youth protests during Halloween weekend

France is preparing for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, with shops boarding up storefronts and authorities deploying a large police presence to prevent violence, France 24 reported. The French top court overturned a lower court's authorization of a protest route through central Paris, redirecting it to the outskirts, according to France 24.

French authorities have deployed 70,000 police officers nationwide and closed over 40 metro stations in Paris to manage the expected demonstrations, France 24 added. Officials have also banned face-covering masks at protests due to concerns about rioters concealing their identities.

In Germany, approximately 150,000 people have registered to protest in about 30 cities including Berlin, Frankfurt, and Cologne, Al Jazeera reported. German police plan to deploy thousands of additional officers, and some luxury shops have boarded up windows to protect against potential looting or violence.

The protests in both countries are largely youth-led and focus on grievances such as the high cost of living, poor educational facilities, government spending cuts, and a perceived lack of prospects for younger generations, Al Jazeera noted. The German movement is known as “GenZ regelt!” which translates to “Gen Z has got this!”.

Authorities in both France and Germany are taking measures to contain the demonstrations and prevent disorder during the Halloween weekend, with officials warning of a very high risk of unrest in France, according to Al Jazeera and France 24.