Paris (AFP)

Arbitrary measure for some but necessary in times of crisis for others, the curfew announced Wednesday evening by Emmanuel Macron in Ile-de-France and in eight other metropolises has most often been used in France in a localized manner.

At the national level, we have to go back to the last World War to find any trace of a general curfew.

The term finds its origins much further in history: in the Middle Ages, when a bell signified to homes in the evening that it was time to put out or cover fires in order to avoid night fires.

It now designates by extension a ban on the population to go out at certain times.

- During the Algerian war -

In the context of a state of emergency, such a measure was associated with the dramatic events of October 17, 1961 in Paris.

The police, then headed by the prefect Maurice Papon, very violently repressed a demonstration of the FLN prohibited by a curfew decreed for the French Muslims in Algeria on October 5.

In September 1958, a first curfew for the same population, less restrictive, had little effect.

- The riots of 2005 -

More recently, in 2005, riots in the suburbs also gave rise to a state of emergency, justifying the possibility for the prefects to trigger local curfews.

At the time twenty-five departments, including Paris, were affected by the implementing decree, but not all of them decided to use it.

This was the case for the Alpes-Maritimes, which introduced a curfew for minors in 21 municipalities from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

In Eure, another example, a curfew was introduced at the same times for the entire population in part of the Madeleine district in Evreux.

- Health crisis -

In addition to the confinement imposed in the spring, the current health crisis had also already given rise to local curfews, the city of Nice led by Christian Estrosi (LR) having been one of the first to announce its establishment in March.

In the process, many municipalities had done the same, more than a hundred according to a count in the Journal du dimanche.

Decided by the prefectures or the municipalities, the measures ultimately concerned mainly cities in the south of France or the north-east, the most affected by the epidemic.

Everywhere, exemptions were provided for health personnel.

In the Paris region, Colombes, Asnières and Puteaux, had also established it.

Some curfews have given rise to contestation, such as in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), the Human Rights League saying it is "very vigilant" on measures "not illegal" in the context but "taken by zealous mayors, in accordance with their political sensibility ".

- Scalable in Guyana -

Since last May, an entire department, Guyana, has experienced a sort of à la carte health curfew.

From June, the prefect published dozens of successive orders, modifying the hours and adding municipalities to the list depending on the evolution of the epidemic.

At the risk of an annulment by the administrative court of Cayenne, on May 27, for 12 of the 22 municipalities for which the curfew was not justified according to him.

In 2018, Reunion was also the object of a curfew during the "yellow vests" crisis.

- For minors -

In 2009, a curfew decided by the city of Nice for unaccompanied minors under the age of thirteen was strongly criticized by the socialist opposition.

It also aroused the perplexity of certain unions of national police officers, saying they were little inclined "to be the nanny".

© 2020 AFP