Demonstrations and protest gatherings will be banned across central Nice from 8am to midnight on Saturday 24th October, one week after shops were looted and police attacked during protests against the cost of living. Around 450 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed in the city as authorities seek to prevent further violence.
The prefectural restrictions cover a broad area stretching from Boulevard Gambetta to Port Lympia, taking in the main railway station district, Carré d’Or, Place Masséna and Vieux-Nice. The map published by the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture also includes the central seafront along the Promenade des Anglais and Quai des États-Unis.
The ban applies to protest-related gatherings and marches within that perimeter, rather than imposing a general daytime curfew on residents and visitors.
According to local reporting of the prefecture’s security arrangements, 650 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilised across the Alpes-Maritimes, including 450 in Nice. Reinforcements include CRS riot police, a RAID unit and dog teams.
Weapons, fireworks and protective equipment restricted
The prefecture’s published notice also lists restrictions on weapons, objects used as weapons, firework mortars and other pyrotechnics, flammable or corrosive products, and fuel carried in small containers.
Wearing equipment associated with public-order disturbances, including ski goggles, gas masks and helmets, is also prohibited under the announced measures.
The existing curfew for minors remains a separate restriction. Introduced on Monday 19th October, it runs from 9pm to 6am in designated districts until Monday 26th October at 6am.
The measures follow last Saturday’s violence in Nice, when businesses were looted, street furniture damaged and police vehicles attacked. Prosecutors subsequently reported 85 people in police custody, including 40 minors.
Wider restrictions draw criticism
Nice is among at least 10 French cities where authorities have announced restrictions on demonstrations or gatherings for Saturday’s renewed mobilisation. President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that prefects should prohibit demonstrations organised by groups he described as lacking legitimacy, while union-organised marches could be considered on alternative routes designed to protect city centres and businesses. The government said decisions would be taken case by case.
The approach has drawn criticism from the Ligue des droits de l’homme, which argues that the right to demonstrate is a fundamental freedom and should not depend on whether organisers belong to a trade union.
People travelling around Nice should also check public transport before setting out. The city has warned that industrial action could disrupt Lignes d’Azur services throughout Friday 23rd, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October.
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Photo credit: Marc Lapolla.