France: Unrest
Published Friday, 23 October, 8:30 a.m. ET (2:30 p.m. Montpellier) · Source: Hérault prefecture, via France 3 Régions Occitanie
A French prefect has banned Saturday’s protest in Montpellier, closed the tram network and ordered a curfew for unaccompanied minors, after violence in the city on 17 October.
Chantal Mauchet, the state’s top official in the southern French department of Hérault, has banned a protest planned for Saturday 24 October in Montpellier. Gatherings are also barred in the city centre from 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Montpellier), as part of the wave of France protests this month.
All five tram lines will not run on Saturday, and a curfew applies to unaccompanied minors in Montpellier and Béziers. The prefecture cites riots, looting and attacks on trams during the nationwide protest day of 17 October.
Key Facts
—What happened. Prefect bans Saturday’s protest in Montpellier and shuts the tram network.
—Who decided. Hérault prefect Chantal Mauchet, the central government’s local representative.
—Gathering ban. 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Saturday (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Montpellier) in the city centre.
—Minors’ curfew. Saturday 2 p.m. ET to midnight ET (8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Montpellier); also Friday night.
—Why it matters for US readers. Travel and safety: no trams, centre closed to crowds. Not a national emergency.
In plain English
Montpellier is a city of about 300,000 people in southern France. A prefect is the national government’s representative in a department (a county-sized region), and can ban protests and set curfews by order. France is in a wave of protests over living costs and schools, and Saturday is another national day of action.
Protest Ban and City-Centre Rules
The prefect banned the declared Saturday demonstration by order, citing “major risks of public disorder”. She also pointed to the violence of 17 October and to the fact that the organiser is the same as for that day.
Gatherings are barred in an enlarged central zone from 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Montpellier). It covers the Saint-Roch railway station, Place de la Comédie, the Polygone shopping centre and the boulevards around the old town (the Écusson).
Gas masks, protective goggles, helmets and tactical knee pads are banned in several communes from 11 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. ET Saturday (5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time). Fireworks, fuel cans and other flammable or chemical products are also banned across Hérault from Friday to Sunday.
Trams Stopped and Curfew for Minors
Montpellier’s tram lines will not run all day Saturday, a preventive step. Trams were stoned and shot at on 17 October, according to the prefecture.
Unaccompanied minors face a curfew in the centres of Montpellier and Béziers, from 4 p.m. ET Friday to midnight ET (10 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time). It repeats on Saturday from 2 p.m. ET to midnight ET (8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time).
Security Forces and Government Line
Local police and gendarmes will be reinforced by mobile units, and soldiers from Operation Sentinelle, the army’s domestic security mission. Drone cameras are authorised.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that non-union demonstrations would be banned “wherever possible” on Saturday. Prefects may offer unions alternative routes for marches they organise.
See our why is France protesting explainer for the background.
What It Means for US Readers
These are local orders for Montpellier and the Hérault department, not a national state of emergency. Americans in the city should expect a closed centre and no tram service on Saturday.
Check the prefecture’s notices and your embassy’s alerts before moving around. Our guide on whether it is safe to travel to France is updated as the situation changes.
What Is Not Known
No verified national turnout figure for Saturday exists yet, and measures in other cities of the old Languedoc-Roussillon region are not confirmed. The number of officers deployed has not been published.
We could not confirm whether organisers or unions will challenge the bans in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Saturday protest in Montpellier allowed?
No. The Hérault prefect banned the declared protest by order, citing major risks to public order. Gatherings in the city centre are also banned from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time (2 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET).
Will trams run in Montpellier on Saturday?
No. All five tram lines are halted for the whole day as a preventive measure. Bus service in Montpellier is also expected to stop, though some lines to other towns may run.
What is the curfew for minors?
Unaccompanied minors face a curfew in the centres of Montpellier and Béziers on Friday night and again from 8 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday local time.
Is France under a state of emergency?
No. The Montpellier bans are local administrative orders. We found no national state of emergency in the sources used.