An internal document says planned protests in Orléans could be ‘potentially more confrontational’ than the prior weekend.
By Catholics for Catholics
While France is reeling from a juggernaut of riots, violence, fires and mayhem, the State Department cautions that antifascist groups are allegedly scheming to hold a “potentially more confrontational protest” this weekend, as the far-right National Rally holds its political convention just days after savage mutinies trounced police and showed major security failures.
As Marine Le Pen, the conservative party leader, prepares for the convention on Oct. 24–25 in Orléans, France, an internal document obtained by Fox News Digital warns that their opponents are organizing more demonstrations near the convention venue that could “expose further security shortcomings and deepen political tensions.”
The State Department’s warning comes at an acutely perilous political time for President Emmanuel Macron, taking into account the same riots that exposed his government’s security vulnerabilities could also give National Rally and center-right parties an opening to challenge his record, according to the State Department assessment.
But now, French authorities are about to face another dangerous security test as demonstrators prepare to overwhelm the congress of a party that could benefit politically from the previous unrest.
These images from the current chaos in France are terrifying. Let us pray for the end of violence. France, come back to Christ! Read more about what’s happening there here > https://t.co/0tOUnHdjgr https://t.co/iEfRKReYzo
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) October 19, 2026
The crux of the matter is this: the riots are expected to happen right when the National Rally’s two-day party congress takes place, where Le Pen is poised to launch her presidential campaign. A smorgasbord of left-wing parties, unions, activist groups and some say Antifa are planning a march Saturday, while antifascist groups have announced plans for a separate protest Sunday near the convention venue, according to the State Department assessment.
Still, Jordan Bardella, the National Rally President, has rejected abandoning the congress, while local authorities are preparing additional security restrictions around the gathering.
Nationwide, some 550,000 people joined 110 marches, according to France’s Interior Ministry. More than 2,400 people were arrested, nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers and firefighters were injured and thousands of businesses were damaged. And intelligence failures that far underestimated the turnout left authorities overwhelmed and facing more than double the number of protesters originally estimated.
