Gard prefect bans Nîmes protest after initially approving it

The prefect of the Gard department reversed course on Friday, October 23, and banned a demonstration scheduled for Saturday in Nîmes, citing the organizer's inability to provide adequate security and the need to preserve public order. The event had been officially declared and its route previously approved. The ban targets the Young Communists of Gard, who organized the rally as a follow-up to a peaceful protest on October 17 that drew over 3,000 people without major incidents. However, violence and looting occurred after that earlier event, prompting heightened security concerns. The prefect stated that only union-organized gatherings are now permitted, requiring declarations at least 48 hours in advance. The French Communist Party condemned the decision as an unprecedented attack on the right to protest and called for a new mobilization on November 5.