France has banned public events in Lyon due to planned protests

The prefecture of the French department of Rhône has banned all demonstrations in Lyon on October 24, amid planned nationwide protests, according to a statement from the authorities.

Lyon is one of France’s largest cities. Laurent Nuñez, a senior official at the French Interior Ministry, had previously indicated that the authorities might ban the protests scheduled for Saturday.

"The prefect has decided, by way of official decrees, to ban all demonstrations in Lyon on Saturday, October 24," reports the TV channel BFMTV, citing a statement from the prefecture.

 Protests began in France in mid-September, when high school students in the Paris suburbs took to the streets to demand improvements to their schools. They were later joined by people unhappy with rising prices, and the demonstrations spread to other regions.

The largest event was a nationwide demonstration on October 17, which, according to the Ministry of the Interior, drew approximately 550,000 participants. French law enforcement used tear gas, stun grenades, and water cannons against the protesters.

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