Police Union’s ‘Citizen’ Rallies Draw Thousands Across France, Pressing for Resources and Tougher Justice

Overview

• Demonstrations called by Alliance Police Nationale were held the same day in roughly 20–23 cities, with a large Paris march from Bastille to Nation.
• Organizers cited 15,000–20,000 participants in Paris and 45,000 nationwide, while authorities offered no national count and some local figures were lower.
• Union leaders highlighted decaying stations, aging vehicles, staff shortages and investigative backlogs approaching three million complaints, alongside rising 2025 indicators such as refusals to obey up about 11%.
• Right and far‑right politicians appeared in several cortèges, whereas Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez declined to attend, citing neutrality.
• The ministry pointed to measures since 2017 including 12,500 security posts, 19,000 vehicles and increased budgets, with 2026 plans for an additional €100 million and 1,000 police jobs, and no new commitments announced Saturday.