• Montpellier night grocers are angry with a municipal decree, requiring them to close from Thursday evening to Sunday morning, from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

  • The town mentions, in its decree dated April 30, security problems, drunkenness on the public highway, and neighborhood disturbances. 

  • "We are going to go bankrupt, we will not hold out," laments a night grocer.

In Montpellier (Hérault), a municipal decree requires night grocery stores to close their doors, from Thursday evening to Sunday morning, from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., in several districts, in particular the Ecusson, the station or Antigone.

And on other days, the sale of take-out alcohol is prohibited from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The city mentions in particular security problems and neighborhood disturbances related to alcohol consumption.

"Around us, there are small supermarkets," says Mounir Letaief, president of the association of night grocery stores.

We wait until they close at 9 p.m. to start working a little.

“Except that the decree requires them to lower their iron curtains at… 9 pm.

"This decree is to do away with local shops," the entrepreneur laments.

We are going to go bankrupt, we will not hold out.

"

“It's not for me to take care of you!

"

And, he specifies, those who buy alcohol in these grocery stores, it is to "consume at home".

“Those who have no money do not come to us, we sell too much, to be able to cover our costs.

The homeless, they have already bought their beers in supermarkets, at 70 cents.

At home, it's 2 euros.

"Each individual is responsible for himself," growls another grocer.

If you buy whiskey, and you mess the streets, it's not for me to take care of you!

"

Sébastien Cote (PS), elected to security, assumes the decree he signed.

“Last summer, we observed, on the public highway, a very exuberant alcoholism, he confides.

Groups, in the squares, cans, broken bottles, nuisances… Even though the sale of take-away alcohol was prohibited ”, from 10 pm to 6 am.

"The city center has become a junkyard"

The town then promulgated a new decree, in August, imposing to hide the rays of alcohol during the night.

"Since this decree was taken, in ten months, there have been about thirty grocery store verbalizations for alcohol sales after 10 pm", deplores Sébastien Cote.

Hence the hardening of measures, decided by the city.

The Right to Sleep collective, mobilized to put an end to the nocturnal fuss, welcomes this.

"It's been too long that night grocery stores do not respect the law," laments Magali Balmefrezol, member of the collective.

"The city center has become a stopping place because of the alcohol trade, and the too many places of sale", continues this Montpellier, who advocates "living well together".

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  • Languedoc-Roussillon

  • Night

  • Montpellier

  • Supermarket

  • security