France braces for ‘high-risk’ Morocco tie with Paris curbs, drone surveillance and curfews for under-16s | OneFootball

France meet Morocco in Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final in Boston, and at home authorities are rolling out extraordinary security. Paris faces transport curbs and some cities have curfews for minors.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, Metro lines 1, 2 and 6 near the Champs Élysées and Trocadéro will be affected, with the Louvre and Tuileries zones heavily restricted. Paris police have banned fireworks from 7 to 15 July, including Bastille Day, calling the steps appropriate, necessary and proportionate.

An intelligence alert on Wednesday warned of increased risks to public order. Caution follows 2022 semi-final unrest, when more than 150 arrests were made in Paris despite a large police presence. Some residents dispute the policing spend, others say trouble can follow win or lose.

Shops on the Champs Élysées are boarding up before kick-off, with high-value stock removed. Police drones are authorised to film streets during the match to flag incidents quickly. Recent high-risk events brought vast deployments, including 22,000 officers in Paris for the Champions League final.

Concerns over younger offenders have prompted Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand to impose a 22:00 to 05:00 curfew for under-16s. Minors may travel only with parents or for urgent reasons. In Haute-Garonne, public drinking is banned from 18:00 except in fan zones.

Fan zones will be set up in major cities to encourage safe celebrations. Paris will pedestrianise central areas and extend terrace hours until 02:00.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo