After the violence and looting on October 17, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture is strengthening security measures for Saturday, October 24, 2026. Protest demonstrations will be prohibited from 8 a.m. to midnight in a large part of Nice’s city center. In total, 650 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilized in the department, including 450 in Nice.
Authorities are preparing for another day under surveillance in Nice. The prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, Jean-Marie Girier, has issued an order prohibiting gatherings, processions, and protest demonstrations in several sectors of the city this Saturday, October 24. The measure comes after the violence and looting that occurred on October 17 in the city center, during a mobilization against the rising cost of living.
The affected area includes notably the train station, the Carré d’Or, Masséna Square, Gambetta Avenue, the Old Town and the port. The prohibition will apply from 8 a.m. to midnight. Shops will remain open and accessible to the public.
650 police officers and gendarmes mobilized in Alpes-Maritimes
The security measures will be reinforced to prevent further outbreaks. In total, 650 police officers, gendarmes and military personnel from the Sentinelle operation will be deployed in Alpes-Maritimes. In Nice, the number of personnel will increase from 250 to 450 national police officers and gendarmes, according to authorities’ announcements.
On the sidelines of a meeting with merchants organized Thursday morning, the mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti (UDR), also announced the presence of nearly 300 municipal police officers. Law enforcement will be positioned in the city center and its surroundings to prevent prohibited gatherings and protect shops against vandalism and looting.
Several specialized units will supplement the regular forces. The RAID will be mobilized, alongside reinforcements from republican security companies (CRS), investigators from the border police, canine units and a unit from the gendarmerie’s surveillance and intervention squad (PSIG). Other coastal towns and shopping center areas will also receive reinforcements.
Éric Ciotti criticized the handling of the events from the previous weekend: “the prohibition will be accompanied by a much larger police presence than last weekend when, I say this very clearly, the government failed in maintaining order and in anticipating the event.”
Controls and sanctions planned in case of violation
Law enforcement will conduct checks to ensure compliance with the prefectural order. The possession, carrying, use and transportation of weapons will be monitored in particular, as well as mortars, pyrotechnic articles, fuel transported in small containers and flammable or corrosive products.
Protective equipment that may be used during public disorder will also be subject to controls. Ski goggles, gas masks and helmets are among the items targeted by the restrictions.
Participation in a prohibited demonstration is subject to a fixed penalty fine of up to 135 euros, in accordance with article R644-4 of the Criminal Code. Organizing a prohibited or undeclared demonstration constitutes a misdemeanor punishable by six months imprisonment and a 7,500 euro fine, according to article 431-9 of the Criminal Code.
At the national level, Emmanuel Macron indicated on Thursday, October 22, that only demonstrations organized at the request of unions would be authorized on Saturday, with alternative routes to preserve city centers and shops. CGT Spectacle acknowledged the ban in Nice and is already preparing for mobilization on November 5.
A curfew for minors until Monday, October 26
In addition to the prefectural order, Éric Ciotti has instituted, in consultation with the prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, a curfew for minors in several sectors of Nice. The measure will apply this Saturday, October 24, starting at 9 p.m. and until 6 a.m. the next day, in the City Center, Old Town and Trachel-South Station sectors.
The measure will remain in effect until Monday, October 26 at 6 a.m. Authorities intend to limit the risk of new incidents during the weekend, after the vandalism and looting of October 17.
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