Restrictions end, but police remain vigilant
The municipal order took effect on October 19 following unrest on October 17 and 18. It barred minors from the city center, Old Nice and the Trachel/Gare du Sud area between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., Riviera Radio reported.
Ciotti adopted the measure in consultation with the Alpes-Maritimes prefect to prevent further disturbances and protect residents. The order was scheduled to last one week.
Local authorities said police would remain vigilant after the curfew expired. Ciotti said he could reinstate it as early as the following weekend, in consultation with the prefect, if conditions warranted. He identified residents' safety and public order as his continuing priorities.
Arrests, damage and additional security measures
The Nice public prosecutor's office reported 114 arrests since October 17, with 110 people placed in police custody. Those arrested included 56 minors; 15 were 14 or younger, including two 12-year-olds.
Ciotti put damage to street furniture and public equipment at €400,000. His estimate excluded the material losses and psychological harm suffered by shopkeepers whose stores were looted.
The prefect also issued a separate order prohibiting the possession, use, carrying and transport of fireworks, pyrotechnics, fuel in small containers, flammable or corrosive products, weapons and protective equipment such as ski goggles, gas masks and helmets. Sentinelle military personnel were deployed near stores on avenue Jean-Médecin.
Curfews across France
Nice's restrictions were part of a broader response to the October 17-18 unrest. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu asked regional prefects to impose partial, narrowly targeted curfews in several cities, including Paris, Lille, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux, according to RFI and Nausica Avocats.
During the same period, curfews ran from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in parts of Paris and from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in central Lyon. Bordeaux restricted unaccompanied minors from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. until October 26.
The French government said vandalism or looting affected at least 3,000 businesses nationwide over the October 17-18 weekend. On October 19, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that 2,513 people had been placed in police custody and 67 incarcerated in connection with the unrest.
Legal limits on youth curfews
Nausica Avocats explains that French mayors can impose curfews for minors through their general police powers, but only under defined conditions. A restriction must address particular risks of public-order disturbances in the affected areas, be suited to its objective and be proportionate.
On August 26, 2026, the Conseil d'État suspended a curfew that covered all minors throughout an entire commune from 11 p.m. The court found insufficient evidence of significant delinquency to justify that measure.
Under Article R. 644-5-1 of the French penal code, breaching a curfew imposed to prevent renewed unrest is a fourth-class contravention. The fixed fine is €135, rising to €375 when increased. The violation is not a criminal offense and, on its own, does not permit police custody.
