'We don't really want to cancel': Singaporeans weigh France travel plans amid violent protests

Singaporeans in Paris last weekend recounted scenes of damaged storefronts, tear gas and transport disruptions, even as daily life carried on largely as normal away from protest areas.

The burnt remains of a bicycle after looting in Paris, France, on Oct 17, 2026. (Photo: Julie Haw)

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SINGAPORE: A long-awaited birthday trip to Paris with her mother is something Rachel, 29, is reluctant to give up, even as violent protests in France have left her worried about their safety.

The pair are due to travel from Oct 28 to Nov 4, just days after another round of demonstrations planned for the coming weekend.

"I'm trying to still be a bit positive about this because I planned this for so long. It's supposed to be a birthday trip with my mum, so I don't really want to cancel," said Rachel, who only wanted to be known by her first name.

Rachel is among Singaporean travellers weighing their plans amid unrest in France, where protests over the rising cost of living and declining public services descended into violence last weekend.

Travel agency Dynasty Travel said it has received requests to amend itineraries because of safety concerns, although there have been no outright cancellations so far.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Meanwhile, Singaporeans who were in Paris during the weekend unrest described witnessing looting, encountering tear gas and having their plans disrupted by public transport closures. With further protests planned for Saturday (Oct 24), French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called for a "massive" police presence , while targeted nighttime curfews may also be imposed. TRAVELLERS KEEP PLANS BUT PREPARE FOR DISRUPTIONS For Rachel, who declined to give her surname, cancelling the trip remains a last resort. Asked whether she feared for her physical safety, she said that she felt wary of potentially encountering rioters. "I'm quite concerned, but I'll just take precautions. That's all I can do, really." With accommodation booked in central Paris, Rachel is particularly worried about public transport disruptions that could affect her itinerary. Although the metro services she intends to use were not closed during last weekend's protests, she fears that further demonstrations could lead to closures. She is prepared to take taxis instead if necessary. "We are willing to pay more if it ensures our safety," she said.

Meanwhile, Singaporeans who were in Paris during the weekend unrest described witnessing looting, encountering tear gas and having their plans disrupted by public transport closures.

With further protests planned for Saturday (Oct 24), French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called for a "massive" police presence , while targeted nighttime curfews may also be imposed.

TRAVELLERS KEEP PLANS BUT PREPARE FOR DISRUPTIONS

For Rachel, who declined to give her surname, cancelling the trip remains a last resort.

Asked whether she feared for her physical safety, she said that she felt wary of potentially encountering rioters.

"I'm quite concerned, but I'll just take precautions. That's all I can do, really."

With accommodation booked in central Paris, Rachel is particularly worried about public transport disruptions that could affect her itinerary.

Although the metro services she intends to use were not closed during last weekend's protests, she fears that further demonstrations could lead to closures.

She is prepared to take taxis instead if necessary. "We are willing to pay more if it ensures our safety," she said.

Responding to CNA's queries, Dynasty Travel said fewer than 10 trips to France had been amended because of concerns over the protests.

The agency said it had received "some requests for changes in itineraries, not outright cancellations".

Other customers have indicated that they may seek changes if the situation does not improve closer to their departure dates, it added.

Dynasty Travel said it was also prepared to reschedule evening activities, change transport arrangements or move travellers away from affected areas if curfews were imposed.

Chan Brothers Travel said it had not received any cancellations related to the recent protests, with its upcoming tour groups departing in November and December proceeding as planned.

The agency said it was closely monitoring developments and would make itinerary changes or alternative arrangements if conditions changed.

“Traveller safety remains our priority,” it said.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) advises travellers to avoid large crowds and demonstration areas in France.

"Public demonstrations and strikes for political, social, or economic reasons occur regularly in France," it said under its travel page for France.

"They may sometimes affect traffic and public transportation. Singaporeans are advised to avoid large crowds and demonstration areas."

CNA has asked MFA about the upcoming protests, whether any Singaporeans have sought help and what assistance is being provided.

Groups of masked men gather on the street as diners eat in a bistro in Paris, France, on Oct 17, 2026. (Photo: Julie Haw)

MASKED MEN, SMASHED SHOPS AND TEAR GAS

The concerns come after mass demonstrations across France on Saturday spiralled into some of the country's worst unrest in years.

Hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest against declining public services and the rising cost of living.

While many demonstrations were peaceful, violent groups attacked public buildings, looted shops and supermarkets, and clashed with police.

For Singaporeans caught up in the unrest, the disruption was immediate.

Ms Julie Haw, 54, was in Paris for a food exhibition when she encountered groups of masked men while walking to dinner on Saturday night.

She recalled seeing three men striking a shop's shutters and smashing its glass before another six or seven men joined them from across the road.

“We could hear boom, boom, boom, and we saw crowds just bursting into a run,” she told CNA.

Shattered glass on the floor after looting in Paris, France, on Oct 17, 2026. (Photo: Julie Haw)

Shattered glass on a storefront after looting in Paris, France, on Oct 17, 2026. (Photo: Julie Haw)

Trash on the floor after looting in Paris, France, on Oct 17, 2026. (Photo: Julie Haw)

Another Singaporean, who was in Paris for work and declined to be named, described being caught in tear gas near Place de la Republique.

The 33-year-old was meeting up with a friend who lived near the protest areas.

At the square, she saw police barricades but said people were still allowed to enter and leave.

The atmosphere initially appeared peaceful.

That changed when she heard screams and saw people suddenly running towards her.

“The next thing I saw was the tear gas was thrown towards our direction … The tear gas, when I first smelled it, it was choking on the throat and on the chest, and then slowly it affects the eyes,” she told CNA.

She said she and her friend tried to escape but were pushed back by police and directed from one side of the square to another before eventually being allowed out.

During the ordeal, strangers offered them eye drops, she recalled.

Mr Edwin Ho, 40, who has lived in Paris for four years, said the latest unrest felt different from previous demonstrations he had witnessed.

“I do feel like this time was a little bit different … I think people were much more affected this time round than past protests that I’ve seen,” he said.

Although his neighbourhood was spared from the worst of the unrest, metro closures forced him to cancel plans and stay home over the weekend.

Mr Ho felt that the destruction and chaos had overshadowed the causes that peaceful protesters were fighting for. “It wasn't what people expected it to be,” he added.

DAILY LIFE CONTINUES AMID THE UNREST

Despite the chaotic scenes, Singaporeans in Paris also described a striking contrast between scenes of chaos and everyday life continuing nearby.

Ms Haw recalled seeing diners remain seated at outdoor cafes and bistros even as masked men moved through the streets.

"You know how the Parisian cafes and bistros have outdoor seating … the people didn't move at all," she said.

“And you have groups, pockets of these masked guys, but the patrons are just sitting there looking ... they just carry on with their dinner, completely undisturbed.”

The 33-year-old Singaporean who encountered tear gas near Place de la Republique described a similarly surreal scene after leaving the square.

She came across a cafe still operating along a row of damaged and looted shops.

“It’s quite surreal … People are just going about their day. There were people exercising, and then people were walking their dogs, and it’s like just another day,” she said.

She added that the damaged and looted shops she saw were concentrated around parts of the city centre where demonstrations had taken place.

By Sunday morning, streets she walked through had already been cleaned up.

Ms Haw also observed cleanup efforts near her hotel in the days following the unrest, with workers already replacing damaged windows.

A pedestrian walks past the Monument a la Republique statue as city hall employees remove graffiti from the statue at the Place de la Republique in Paris on Oct 21, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Kenzo Tribouillard) Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP

A man cleans the window of a damaged hair salon after the weekend protests over the cost of living turned into rioting and looting across France, in Paris, on Oct 21, 2026. (Photo: AP/Teresa Suarez)

Fresh demonstrations are planned for Saturday.

The French government has pledged a heavy police deployment, with the possibility of targeted nighttime curfews in several cities.

For travellers such as Rachel, the hope is that the situation will improve before their departure - and that a long-planned holiday can still go ahead.

“I’ll just play by ear at this point because everything is so unpredictable,” she added.

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上周末在巴黎的新加坡人描述了抗议地区发生的店铺门面受损、催泪瓦斯弥漫和交通中断的景象，尽管在远离抗议地区的日常生活基本照常进行。

2026年10月17日，法国巴黎发生抢劫事件，一辆自行车被烧毁。（照片：朱莉·霍）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：29岁的瑞秋（Rachel）一直盼望着和母亲一起去巴黎庆祝生日，尽管法国的暴力抗议活动让她担心她们的安全，但她仍然不愿放弃这次旅行。

两人计划于 10 月 28 日至 11 月 4 日出行，就在几天前，他们还计划在即将到来的周末举行另一轮示威活动。

“我尽量保持乐观，因为我计划了很久。这本来是和妈妈一起的生日旅行，所以我真的不想取消，”瑞秋说道，她只希望别人知道她的名字。

瑞秋是众多正在权衡出行计划的新加坡旅行者之一，因为法国局势动荡，上周末，因生活成本上涨和公共服务下降而引发的抗议活动演变为暴力事件。

王朝旅行社表示，由于安全方面的担忧，他们已经收到一些修改行程的请求，但到目前为止还没有出现直接取消的情况。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 与此同时，周末在巴黎的新加坡人描述了他们目睹抢劫、遭遇催泪瓦斯以及公共交通停运导致行程被打乱的情况。由于周六（10月24日）计划举行更多抗议活动，法国总理塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努呼吁部署“大量”警力，并可能实施有针对性的夜间宵禁。 旅行者们保留行程，但做好应对突发情况的准备。 对于不愿透露姓氏的瑞秋来说，取消行程仍然是最后的选择。当被问及是否担心自身安全时，她说她担心可能会遇到暴徒。“我很担心，但我会采取预防措施。我真的只能做到这些了。”由于在巴黎市中心预订了住宿，瑞秋特别担心公共交通中断会影响她的行程。虽然她打算乘坐的地铁在上周末的抗议活动中没有停运，但她担心进一步的示威活动可能会导致地铁停运。她表示，如有必要，她准备改乘出租车。“如果能确保安全，我们愿意多花点钱。”她说。

与此同时，周末骚乱期间身在巴黎的新加坡人表示，他们目睹了抢劫事件，遭遇了催泪瓦斯，并且由于公共交通关闭，他们的计划被打乱。

由于周六（10 月 24 日）计划举行更多抗议活动，法国总理塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努呼吁部署“大量”警力，同时可能实施有针对性的夜间宵禁。

旅行者们会遵守计划，但也要做好应对突发情况的准备。

对于不愿透露姓氏的瑞秋来说，取消行程仍然是最后的选择。

当被问及是否担心自身安全时，她说她担心可能会遇到暴徒。

“我很担心，但我会采取预防措施。我真的也只能做到这些了。”

由于在巴黎市中心预订了住宿，瑞秋特别担心公共交通中断可能会影响她的行程。

尽管她打算乘坐的地铁服务在上周末的抗议活动中没有关闭，但她担心进一步的示威活动可能会导致地铁关闭。

她表示，如有必要，她准备改乘出租车。“如果能确保安全，我们愿意多花点钱。”她说。

针对中央社的询问，王朝旅行社表示，由于对示威活动的担忧，前往法国的行程只有不到 10 个被修改。

该机构表示，他们收到了一些更改行程的请求，但没有收到彻底取消的请求。

声明还补充说，其他乘客表示，如果临近出发日期情况没有改善，他们可能会要求更改行程。

王朝旅行社表示，如果实施宵禁，他们也已做好准备，重新安排晚间活动，改变交通安排，或将旅客转移到远离受影响地区的地点。

陈氏兄弟旅行社表示，尚未收到任何与近期抗议活动相关的取消订单，其将于11月和12月出发的旅行团将按计划进行。

该机构表示，他们正在密切关注事态发展，如果情况发生变化，将更改行程或做出其他安排。

“旅客安全仍然是我们的首要任务，”声明中写道。

新加坡外交部建议游客避开法国的人群密集区域和示威游行区域。

“法国经常发生因政治、社会或经济原因而举行的公众示威和罢工，”该网站在其法国旅游页面上写道。

“这些活动有时可能会影响交通和公共交通。建议新加坡民众避开人群聚集地和示威区域。”

CNA已就即将举行的抗议活动向外交部询问了相关情况，包括是否有新加坡人寻求帮助以及正在提供哪些援助。

2026年10月17日，在法国巴黎，一群戴着面具的男子聚集在街头，而食客们正在一家小酒馆用餐。（摄影：朱莉·霍）

蒙面男子、被砸毁的商店和催泪瓦斯

此前，法国各地周六爆发的大规模示威活动演变成该国近年来最严重的骚乱之一，引发了人们的担忧。

数十万人走上街头，抗议公共服务下降和生活成本上涨。

虽然许多示威活动是和平的，但暴力团体袭击了公共建筑，抢劫了商店和超市，并与警察发生冲突。

对于卷入动乱的新加坡人来说，混乱是立竿见影的。

54岁的朱莉·霍女士当时正在巴黎参加一个食品展览会，周六晚上她在去吃晚饭的路上遇到了一群戴着面具的男子。

她回忆说，她看到三个男人猛击商店的卷帘门，砸碎了玻璃，然后又有六七个男人从马路对面加入他们。

“我们听到砰砰砰的声音，然后看到人群开始奔跑，”她告诉CNA。

2026年10月17日，法国巴黎发生抢劫事件后，地上散落着碎玻璃。（照片：朱莉·霍）

2026年10月17日，法国巴黎一家商店遭到洗劫，店面玻璃破碎。（照片：朱莉·霍）

2026年10月17日，法国巴黎发生抢劫事件后，地上散落着垃圾。（照片：朱莉·霍）

另一名在巴黎工作但不愿透露姓名的新加坡人描述了他在共和国广场附近遭遇催泪瓦斯的经历。

这位33岁的男子当时正与一位住在抗议区附近的友人见面。

她在广场上看到了警察设置的路障，但她说人们仍然可以自由进出。

起初，气氛显得平静祥和。

当她听到尖叫声，看到人们突然朝她跑来时，一切都改变了。

“接下来我看到的就是催泪瓦斯朝我们这边扔过来……我第一次闻到催泪瓦斯的时候，感觉喉咙和胸口都呛得难受，然后慢慢地就影响到眼睛了，”她告诉亚洲新闻台。

她说，她和朋友试图逃跑，但被警察推了回去，并被从广场的一边引导到另一边，最终才被允许离开。

她回忆说，在那段艰难的日子里，陌生人给了他们眼药水。

在巴黎生活了四年的40岁男子何先生表示，最近的骚乱与他之前目睹的示威活动有所不同。

“我感觉这次的情况有点不同……我认为这次人们受到的影响比我以往看到的抗议活动要大得多，”他说。

虽然他所在的社区没有受到骚乱最严重的影响，但地铁停运迫使他取消了计划，周末只能待在家里。

何先生认为，破坏和混乱掩盖了和平示威者争取的目标。“这和人们预想的完全不一样，”他补充道。

动荡之中，日常生活仍在继续。

尽管现场一片混乱，但身在巴黎的新加坡人也描述了混乱场面与附近日常生活的鲜明对比。

霍女士回忆说，她看到戴着口罩的男人在街上走动，而食客们仍然坐在户外咖啡馆和小酒馆里用餐。

“你知道巴黎的咖啡馆和小酒馆都有户外座位……人们根本没动，”她说。

“你会看到一些戴着面具的人三三两两地聚集在那里，但顾客们只是坐在那里看着……他们继续用餐，完全没有受到干扰。”

一名 33 岁的新加坡男子在共和国广场附近遭遇催泪瓦斯，离开广场后，他描述了类似的超现实场景。

在一排遭到破坏和洗劫的店铺中，她偶然发现了一家仍在营业的咖啡馆。

“感觉很不真实……人们照常生活着。有人在锻炼，有人在遛狗，就像平常的一天一样，”她说。

她补充说，她看到的受损和被洗劫一空的商店集中在市中心一些发生过示威活动的地区附近。

到了周日早上，她走过的街道已经被清理干净了。

骚乱发生后的几天里，霍女士还注意到她所住酒店附近正在进行清理工作，工人们已经在更换受损的窗户。

2026年10月21日，在巴黎共和国广场，一名行人走过共和国纪念碑雕像，市政厅工作人员正在清除雕像上的涂鸦。（图片：法新社/Kenzo Tribouillard） Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / 法新社

2026年10月21日，在法国巴黎，一名男子正在清理一家受损理发店的窗户。周末，法国各地因生活成本上涨而爆发的抗议活动演变为骚乱和抢劫。（图片：美联社/特蕾莎·苏亚雷斯）

周六计划举行新的示威活动。

法国政府承诺将部署大量警力，并可能在多个城市实施有针对性的夜间宵禁。

对于像瑞秋这样的旅行者来说，他们希望在出发前情况能够好转，这样他们期待已久的假期还能如期举行。

“我现在只能随机应变了，因为一切都太难以预测了，”她补充道。

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