French City Imposes Curfew for Minors Amid Drug Gang Fears

Authorities in Nîmes introduced a two-week nighttime curfew for under-16s in six districts after a series of gang-related shootings.

A police officer from the BST 14 Brigade, specialised in drug trafficking, stands next to a barricade at the entrance of Les Rosiers housing project in the northern districts of Marseille, southern France, on Dec. 1, 2023. Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images

The southern French city of Nîmes has imposed a night-time curfew for unaccompanied minors under 16 in six neighborhoods, after a string of drug-related shootings triggered fears of escalating gang violence.

The curfew, which began Monday at 9 p.m., will remain in place daily until 6 a.m. for at least two weeks and may be extended if conditions do not improve, city officials said.