To drive out drug addicts, the mayor of Nice decides to… close a street and control local residents

Collapsed on the sidewalk, a handful of drug addicts administer their doses under the bored gaze of passersby. One of them says mockingly: "Welcome to rue Tiranty. It's the open-air shooting gallery." But perhaps not for much longer, says Christian Estrosi. On Friday, July 11, 2025, the mayor of Nice announced to the press the closure of this axis of the Carré-d'Or, between avenue Jean-Médecin and rue Lamartine: "For years, we have been receiving reports of drug use in the street, with high health risks due to the presence of syringes. On Tuesday, I will issue an order for reasons of sanitation and public order by limiting access . The street will now only be accessible to those with legal rights and to people going to shops or doctors' offices. This regulation will apply from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.." And who will be in charge of filtering the passages? "I am asking my municipal police director to ensure its implementation." Will there be municipal police officers on duty? Will they be relieved by private security agents? No details yet.

Starting next Tuesday, we are issuing an order restricting access to rue Tiranty: ➜ Access reserved for those with rights (residents, customers, etc.) ➜ Regulation between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ➜ Security checks will be in place

All implemented by the @PMdeNice . pic.twitter.com/zsHk3Uvb8J

But the news is enough to delight the few shopkeepers we met at the end of the day, following the declarations. "Nobody warned us about this measure, but if it really happens (I speak in the conditional because there have been a lot of broken promises), it will be a huge relief," applauds one of them, who, like her neighbors, wishes to remain anonymous. Another agrees: "It's a very good measure. Every day, at any time, there is unacceptable behavior. In addition to injecting themselves and leaving their syringes lying around, these people defecate in the street, empty the trash cans. And when we tell them to leave, they become aggressive." At the same time, on the sidewalk opposite, a couple sinks into a swaying wandering. "It's sad to see. Despite the nuisance, they are human," murmurs the shopkeeper, heartbroken.

The staggering couple ended up on a piece of sidewalk, dragged down by the nagging addiction, the call of the dose. The woman injected herself. Then it was the man's turn. Same syringe. Right next to her, Ahmed grimaced and warned: "Don't leave anything lying around!" The thirty-year-old visited his old street buddies, who were high. He assured them he had recently gotten over it. With his intense gaze and deep voice, he dismissed the mayor's statements: "It'll please the residents. But it shifts the problem. They need help, not to be chased away. Now, they'll just walk 200 meters and go to another street." Profound silence. "People don't know. It's very difficult to get out of this situation. It's no excuse for injecting in front of children. But we don't have enough places to shoot up in a safe environment."

What about the care of these people? Christian Estrosi retorts that he is "working with the ARS, the CHU, and relevant associations to implement mobile equipment to accommodate people living on the streets and under the influence of products requiring injections." Specifically, a medical bus will crisscross the city with a nurse, a care coordinator, and a social worker on board. "It will be a mobile Caarud [Reception and Support Center for Risk Reduction for Drug Users]," the City says. Without specifying the targeted sectors or the deployment date of the system, planned "perhaps in September. The ARS will have to launch a call for tenders and then select an association."

Can a person legally be barred from a street because they are under the influence of drugs? Nice-Matin asked a Nice lawyer who preferred to remain anonymous: "In law, three questions allow for a triple filter. Is the decision necessary, appropriate, and proportional to the objective pursued? A priori, this is not the case. If there is an appeal to the administrative court, and there certainly will be, the measure risks being overturned. Of course, the mayor is responsible for public order in his city. But this is a matter of public order, which is the responsibility of the prefect." What then of the prerogatives of the municipal police? "In this case, they seem too limited to me. And then, on what criteria will they prohibit access to the street? Is it based on appearance? That has no legal basis."