In the aftermath of the mobilization against the cost of living on Saturday, October 17, 2026 in Nice, political reactions are multiplying. Éric Ciotti is calling for a firm judicial response following the vandalism and looting. On the left, the PCF and Alternative Communiste 06 are denouncing the management of law enforcement and defending the social demands of the protesters.
Nearly 3,800 people marched through Nice city center on Saturday, October 17, during a demonstration against the cost of living. Initially launched by the Yellow Vests, the gathering notably mobilized many young people. The mobilization was then marked by violence, vandalism and looting, while law enforcement intervened to disperse certain groups.
The authorities mention the presence of “150 troublemakers”, one of whom was injured. Several shops were looted in Nice city center, notably JD Sports, Micromania and Decathlon, as well as a Yamaha motorcycle shop. These incidents led local political leaders to take a stand the very next day, between calls for stricter judicial sanctions and criticism of law enforcement management.
In the aftermath of the events, Sunday October 18, local political leaders take a stand. The statements reveal opposing views of the situation, between calls for judicial firmness and criticism of the law enforcement strategy.
Éric Ciotti calls for jail sentences after the looting
The mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, visited on Sunday the merchants who were victims of vandalism and looting on Jean-Médecin Avenue. The elected official is calling for strict penalties against those responsible for the violence and believes that the judicial response must be commensurate with the facts.
“It is the Republic that is under attack”, declared the mayor, according to comments reported by Nice-Matin. Éric Ciotti is particularly calling for custodial sentences for those involved in the looting. “Those who smashed, who looted must be sentenced to prison time. Otherwise the message won’t be heard. They need to do two years inside! Their parents must lose their social housing, their welfare payments… That’s how the Republic will regain ground.”
The mayor is also calling for a hardening of the criminal response against those who targeted law enforcement. “Those who did that must go to court”, he insisted, denouncing judicial measures he considers insufficient.
According to the Nice public prosecutor, Damien Martinelli, 85 people, including 40 minors, were placed in police custody following the events. Several prosecutors’ office magistrates were mobilized to handle the proceedings.
Earlier in the day, Éric Ciotti had already mentioned the possibility of intervention by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office. The mayor considers that the violence could fall under organized action and demands that the groups he accuses of participating in it be prosecuted. He is also calling for the dissolution of associations he believes are linked to these movements.
These statements come in a context marked by shop vandalism and clashes with law enforcement. The mayor notably reported attacks on local institutions, including a police station in the Moulins district.
On the left, the PCF and Alternative Communiste 06 criticize law enforcement
Reactions on the left take a different direction. Julien Picot, departmental secretary of the PCF in the Alpes-Maritimes, contests the effectiveness of the security apparatus deployed in Nice and criticizes the political use of the events.
“In Nice, despite the massive deployment of law enforcement, violence occurred and the safety of protesters, Nice residents and merchants was not guaranteed. The show of force did not deliver on its promises”, he affirms.
The communist leader believes that security responses cannot replace the social measures expected by protesters. “Security cannot simply be a tool of political communication. Brandishing fear is not enough to maintain peace.”
Julien Picot thus defends a response based on reducing inequalities and social justice. “Lasting peace is built through social justice, fighting inequalities and responding to popular demands. Repression will never replace social justice!”
Robert Injey, representative of Alternative Communiste 06, also challenges the law enforcement strategy. Drawing on testimonies and images from the demonstration, the elected official believes that law enforcement interventions contributed to dispersing the march and favoring the vandalism subsequently committed by certain groups.
“The government, the Interior Minister leading the way, is playing the card of destabilizing the social movement to promote, in the media, images of destruction over those of our youth’s demands”, he affirms.
Robert Injey considers that the violence has eclipsed the initial reasons for the mobilization, notably youth precarity and difficulties related to Parcoursup. The political leader thus contests a purely security-focused reading of the events and denounces a strategy which, according to him, aims to discredit the social movement.
Anthony Borré calls for a meeting of Nice political groups
In the municipal opposition, Anthony Borré, former first deputy and municipal councilor, condemns the vandalism and looting. The elected official believes that violence should not become a means of political expression and is calling for a firm judicial response.
“What country do we want to leave to our children? La France Insoumise must answer for its confrontational rhetoric and its distrust of police. Violence must never become a political instrument. And justice must act firmly. The Republic cannot give in”, he declares.
Anthony Borré also expressed his sadness at the events that occurred in the city center. “Tonight (yesterday), my heart aches for my city. And my heart aches for my country. Seeing our streets vandalized, our shops looted, our heritage defaced and our police officers targeted fills me with sadness and anger.”
The municipal councilor also questions Éric Ciotti’s communication, accusing him of privileging national positions while the Nice situation requires, in his view, a local political response.
Anthony Borré therefore wishes that a meeting bringing together all political groups on the municipal council be organized quickly. A request that comes as the consequences of the October 17 demonstration continue to fuel political tensions in Nice.
Between calls for stricter judicial sanctions, criticism of law enforcement and defense of social demands, the reactions illustrate the divisions between political leaders in the aftermath of a gathering that brought together several thousand people in the streets of Nice.
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