France imposes a curfew in several cities due to rising crime

The latest of the French cities to impose a curfew on its youth is Nimes. This measure is being taken after a significant increase in juvenile crime. However, this isn't the first time a city in France has had to implement a curfew due to crime-related issues.

Authorities claim that the decision aims to prevent minors under 16 from being "exposed to the violence" that has plagued the city. They have also announced that they will reinforce the police presence.

"For several days now, the situation has become unsustainable due to the armed actions of narco-terrorists, which creates a climate of fear and terror," said Nimes's Republican mayor, Jean-Paul Fournier.

What had to happen

Back in May, with the visit of the Interior Minister, authorities promised to reinforce the police presence in the city. Measures were agreed upon, such as reopening a police station in the troubled Pissevin neighborhood and creating new brigades. These preventive measures don't seem to have worked and have been overwhelmed by the situation.

In the past month, the city in the southern region of France has experienced eight shootings within a two-week period. The trigger was the discovery of the body of a 19-year-old, partially burned and shot dead, allegedly linked to drug trafficking conflicts. Residents describe a climate of terror: "It's become Chicago. We're afraid to go out," said a Pissevin resident.

Past cases

Two years ago, there was great outrage in Nimes when a 10-year-old boy, Fayed, died from a stray bullet in the Pissevin neighborhood.

In the spring of 2024, cities like Béziers, Nice, and Cagnes-sur-Mer imposed curfews on minors under 13 due to the rise in youth violence. In Nice, the measure was applied after more than 2,000 minors were found on the streets in the early morning hours in 2023, while in Béziers, juvenile crime had increased by 20% in two years. "No 10-year-old child who's on the street at two in the morning is doing anything other than causing trouble," said Mayor Robert Ménard, mayor of Béziers, in 2024. In fact, Béziers is still applying this measure, just like Nimes and other cities in southern France.

A look at Marseille

Nimes recalls the situation in Marseille, where drug trafficking wars left 49 dead in 2023, many of them minor "soldiers" of the mafias. The recent eight shootings in neighborhoods like Pissevin reflect the same pattern of violence as Marseille.

If firm and urgent measures aren't taken, Nimes runs the serious risk of becoming another hotspot of urban warfare, where insecurity and fear paralyze entire communities. Ignoring this reality could doom an entire generation to live under the shadow of crime and uncontrolled violence.