Perpignan Council Passes Support Motion
Perpignan’s community council approved a motion on Monday, November 9, 2026, demanding that local protests move outside the city center, lindependant.fr reported.
Downtown business owners face a sharp drop in trade following a wave of shop closures that shuttered three historic cafes since July 2026. The National Rally group led by Mayor Louis Aliot introduced the text during the council session.
Protest Ban Requests Until December
The motion asks the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales to ban demonstrations from the hypercenter and its immediate surroundings until Thursday, December 31. Pierre Regnault de la Mothe already banned protests in parts of the city center following clashes and looting during a mobilization on October 17.
The text also calls for a stronger police presence near commercial areas during sensitive periods. It condemns the violence and property damage recorded during the autumn demonstrations.
Left-Wing Opposition Rejects the Text
Socialist councillor Mathias Blanc criticized the majority for drafting a motion that he argued completely exonerates the municipal administration. He pointed to high rents, national economic pressures, and poor municipal promotion of the city center.
There is a problem in this motion which seems totally to exonerate your municipality in this situation,
Mathias Blanc told the council, according to lindependant.fr.
Mathias Blanc and Cabestany’s communist mayor, Edith Pugnet, abstained from the vote. Mayor Louis Aliot responded to the opposition votes by suggesting future demonstrations could target neighboring Cabestany instead.
Why the Council Requested Protest Relocation
Why did the council demand a protest relocation?
The motion responds to severe commercial decline and property damage linked to demonstrations that hit downtown Perpignan on October 17, 2026.
Who proposed the controversial motion?
The National Rally group led by Mayor Louis Aliot presented the text during the community council meeting on November 9, 2026.
What specific restrictions are requested?
The text asks the prefect to ban protests in the hypercenter through December 31, 2026, and to increase police patrols near shops.
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