A number of French cities have imposed night-time curfews on young people following a spate of violence linked to drug trafficking.
Nîmes in the south was the latest to bring in measures, which authorities said were meant to prevent under 16s from being “exposed to violence” and to “contain tensions”. Additional police units will also be sent in.
Over the course of the last month several shootings – one in broad daylight – left one person dead and several injured.
Last week the body of a 19-year-old man was found partially burned on the outskirts of Nîmes.
Announcing the curfew – in force between 21:00 and 06:00 – mayor Jean-Paul Fournier said the situation had become “untenable” and that drug traffickers had created a “climate of fear and terror”.
Deputy mayor Richard Schieven said the curfew would protect minors not involved in the drug trade “but also those aged 12 or 13 who are exploited by drug traffickers”.
Béziers, 120km (75 miles) to the south-west, has had a curfew in place for children under 13 between 23:00 and 06:00 since last year and expanded it to under 15s in certain areas last March. “No 10-year-old out on the street at 02:00 is up to anything but mischief,” said mayor Robert Ménard in 2024.
Despite the measures, Béziers continues to be plagued by violence. At the weekend balaclava-clad youths lured police and then attacked them with fireworks, local media reported.
A similar incident occurred in Limoges in southwestern France. The city has also imposed curfew measures for under 13s for the duration of the summer holidays.
Credit: bbc.com
