French Cities Implement Curfews to Tackle Rising Drug Violence

Sun Oct 19 2025 20:31:19 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In response to escalating violence linked to drug trafficking, several French cities have enacted curfews for minors, aiming to enhance safety.

Authorities in Nîmes, alongside other cities like Béziers and Limoges, have established curfews to protect under-16s amid increasing drug-related incidents, including shootings and attacks on police.

Authorities across France are reacting to a surge in drug-related violence by enforcing curfews on young people in various cities, aiming to shield them from the dangers of drug trafficking. Nîmes has now joined cities like Béziers and Limoges in restricting minors' movements during the night as a response to a worrying trend of crime in their communities.

In Nîmes, these measures were officially announced by Mayor Jean-Paul Fournier, who stated the situation had become "untenable." The curfew, which will be active from 21:00 to 06:00, aims to prevent minors from confronting violence and to alleviate the atmosphere of fear created by drug traffickers. Additional police forces will be deployed to enhance security in the city, following a spate of alarming incidents, including shootings, and the recent discovery of a burned body of a teenager on the city’s outskirts.

Béziers has already been enforcing a night-time curfew for children under 13 since last year, gradually expanding restrictions to those under 15 in certain regions due to ongoing violence. Mayor Robert Ménard emphasized that young children wandering the streets late at night are likely to get into trouble. Nevertheless, local reports indicate that violent confrontations continue despite these measures, as seen in recent attacks where youths targeted the police.

Similarly, Limoges has adopted curfew measures but has faced criticism regarding their effectiveness. Mayor Émile Roger Lombertie expressed disappointment over disturbances that led to a lack of arrests, hinting at an ongoing struggle to manage the situation with inadequate police presence.

The trend of drug violence is broadening beyond cities like Marseille, historically known for gang-related conflicts. As per the interior ministry's statistics, drug violence has claimed 110 lives and left over 300 injured in 2024 alone. Justice and Interior Ministers have enacted laws designed to combat drug trafficking, which includes the establishment of high-security prisons for major traffickers.

In light of this escalation, the French government is continuing efforts to clamp down on drug-related crime to restore safety in affected regions.