File photo: Sébastien Lecornu (right), France’s prime minister, who signed the decree. Photo: Thomas Padilla / European Union (CC BY 4.0), cropped.

France: Protests

Published Sunday, November 15, 3:50 a.m. ET (9:50 a.m. Paris) · Source: France’s official gazette (Journal officiel), Interior Ministry (France’s police ministry)

France woke up on Sunday to a ban on the fireworks that some protesters have been firing at police and near schools. A government decree published on November 15 makes selling or setting off the listed fireworks illegal until November 27, as the France protests spill into schools and universities.

The decree is signed by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and took effect immediately. The state is answering a protest wave over the cost of living and youth issues, the subject of our explainer on why France is protesting.

What the Decree Says

The decree is published in the Journal officiel, France’s official gazette, as no. 2026-1047. It bans the sale and use of the listed fireworks “on the whole national territory” until November 27 inclusive.

Exemptions cover professionals with the required licences and public authorities. The three articles of the text set no penalties.

Why Fireworks Became a Weapon

The decree says the aim is to prevent “risks of serious disorder” during blockades outside high schools and universities, and at demonstrations. Before it, mortar fireworks, which launch shells from a tube, were sold only through approved shops or with authorisation, and firing them in public was already banned.

On November 4, three school staff members were hurt by mortar fire at two high schools in Argenteuil, a Paris suburb.

A Protest Movement Still in the Streets

On Saturday, November 14, the Interior Ministry counted 106,000 marchers nationwide. The youth unions, a front of student and high-school groups, counted 200,000.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had said about 70,000 police and gendarmes (police officers who belong to the military) would be on duty. The ministry reported 219 arrests as of 6 p.m. Paris time and 10 officers lightly injured.

Public-sector unions have called a strike and protests for Tuesday, November 17, the next test of the movement.

What It Means for US Readers

Travellers in France should expect that no one can buy or fire the listed fireworks until the end of November, and marches may still close streets in big cities. Our guide to is it safe to travel to France covers safety and transport.

Investors can note that Paris treats the unrest as a public-order problem, yet traders price only a 2.3% chance of a state of emergency, a legal regime that gives authorities extra powers such as curfews.

What Prediction Markets Say

On Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, traders priced a French state of emergency by December 31 at 2.3%, with about US$2.2 million traded on that market (November 15, 3:44 a.m. ET). The price is a bet, not a poll.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What Is Not Known

The decree sets no penalties, and the government has not said how it will police sales. Whether it will be extended beyond November 27 is unknown.

The total number of people hurt by fireworks is also unclear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does France’s new fireworks ban cover?

It bans the sale and use of listed category F2 and F3 fireworks across France until November 27, 2026, inclusive. Licensed professionals and public authorities are exempt.

Does the ban affect tourists?

Yes, anyone buying or setting off the listed fireworks in France is covered until November 27. Public use of mortars was already banned before the decree.

Sources: Décret n° 2026-1047 du 14 novembre 2026, Journal officiel; Interior Ministry and Paris prosecutor’s office figures for November 14; Polymarket and Kalshi (November 15).