Far-right group clashes with protesters at banned Nice rally
Around a hundred masked far-right activists clashed with a march in Nice on Saturday despite a ban on protests, leaving three people hurt and eleven arrested.
Around a hundred masked far-right activists converged on central Nice on Saturday and clashed with marchers taking part in a demonstration, despite a ban on all protests in the city centre that day, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture said.
Police tried to keep the group away from about 2,300 demonstrators and to stop them reaching the Jean-Medecin shopping avenue, the prefecture said, according to BFMTV. Fighting broke out anyway between "highly mobile" individuals from both groups near the Hotel des Postes and Rue Alberti, the city of Nice said.
Three people were slightly hurt and treated by firefighters, the prefecture said. The clashes led to eleven arrests, the city of Nice said.
Nice mayor Eric Ciotti condemned what he called attacks by far-right activists on a "peaceful" march and said those responsible should face justice. Left-wing lawmakers Manuel Bompard and Louis Boyard accused the authorities of failing to stop the violence, with Bompard saying "fascists" had been able to walk through the city armed with knives and iron bars. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told a news conference that far-right activists had sought confrontation with far-left activists in both Nice and Montpellier that day, which he called "a first" at a demonstration.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · MTV Uutiset Around a hundred masked far-right activists clashed with roughly 2,300 demonstrators in central Nice on Saturday, despite a ban on protests that day.
- Official · Alpes-Maritimes prefecture Three people were slightly injured and treated by firefighters, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture said.
- Official · city of Nice Eleven people were arrested, the city of Nice said.
- Official · interior minister The interior minister said far-right activists sought confrontation with far-left activists in both Nice and Montpellier that day.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
The clashes came amid weeks of demonstrations across France, and local tourism officials have warned that repeated unrest and images of burning buildings could hurt Nice's tourism sector, which they say accounts for 15% of the Nice Cote d'Azur metropolitan area's economic output.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Nice-Matin: « Un deuxième 17 octobre à Nice serait dévastateur pour le tourisme » : hôteliers et restaurateurs tirent la sonnette d’alarme
- MTV Uutiset: Mielenosoitus kärjistyi Nizzassa suomalaisen Villen edessä – "Lähdin juoksemaan, kun kyynelkaasupilvi lähestyi"
- BFMTV: Trois blessés, onze interpellés... Ce que l'on sait des affrontements entre l'ultradroite et le cortège pacifique à Nice
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Nice?
- About 100 masked far-right activists clashed with a demonstration in the city centre on Saturday, despite a ban on protests that day.
- How many people were hurt or arrested?
- Three people were slightly injured and eleven were arrested, according to the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture and the city of Nice.
- What did officials say caused the violence?
- France's interior minister said far-right activists sought confrontation with far-left activists in both Nice and Montpellier that day.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.