Nice bans protests and deploys 650 officers after riots

The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Jean-Marie Girier, has banned all demonstrations and gatherings in a large area of central Nice this Saturday, October 24, following the riots and looting that occurred on October 17. A total of 650 police, gendarmes, and soldiers will be deployed, with police numbers in Nice increasing from 250 to 450. The RAID tactical unit, including its armored vehicle, will be mobilized, and preventive searches will be conducted. The restricted zone will cover areas including the train station, Masséna, and the old town, while shops will remain open. The prefect acknowledged a one-hour delay in deploying mobile forces contributed to the start of the looting, calling it a form of failure. He also stated that 37% of those arrested were foreigners, mostly in a regular situation, and urged parents to keep their children away from the city center on Saturday.