Toulouse imposes World Cup curfew for unaccompanied under-16s during high-risk matches after recent football unrest
TOULOUSE: Authorities in the French city of Toulouse on Thursday announced a curfew for under-16s during “high risk” World Cup matches, after unrest marred celebrations of the recent Paris Saint-Germain Champions League victory.
The matches in question are those involving France, games played by Morocco against Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, as well as a match between Tunisia and the Netherlands, the mayor said.
The curfew will be in force from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am for minors under 16 unaccompanied by an adult in a central area of the southwestern city, centre-right mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc told a press briefing.
The measure concerns only “a certain number of matches that we have selected with the prefecture, because we considered them to be high-risk”, he added.
The mayor justified the move by the unrest and damage that occurred in Toulouse and other cities following the Champions League final on May 30.
The measure is intended to “protect citizens and minors”, the mayor said, arguing there was a rise in juvenile delinquency in France’s fourth-largest city.
The mayor of the central city of Clermont-Ferrand announced a similar rule for under-16s this week.
France plays its first World Cup match on Tuesday against Senegal.
