After the violence committed by many individuals against the police overnight on Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 July in the Devèze district, in Béziers, the prefect of Hérault decided to strengthen police means in the area.
In a press release, the prefect of Hérault, François-Xavier Lauch, said “Having decided to strengthen the means of the national police, this Sunday, July 20, in the evening, in the Devèze district after the serious facts which took place there that night (mortar jets against the police, fire of an apartment)”.
I decided to strengthen the means of the national police this evening in the Devèze district #Béziers (a section of a new generation CRS unit will be present) After the serious facts that took place there that night (mortar jets against the police, fire … pic.twitter.com/vsiQF3CECh
– Devil Deviour \ UD83c \ UDDEB \ UD83c \ Uddf7 (@ Prefect34) July 20, 2025
He will send a section of a new generation CRS unit there. The prefect specifies: “I add up my full support for the national police officers.
These “new generation” CRS specialize in the fight “Against urban violence and drug trafficking” And aim to maintain and restore order but also to assist the national police as well as the local staff, details the government’s site.
Fighting drug trafficking: a priority
Raphaël Balland, public prosecutor of Béziers, recalled, on Bfmtvthat the authors of the facts incur up to 10 years’ imprisonment and that an investigation was in progress finally to find them.
“A reaction from the right work that these police have done in recent days”
The prosecutor of the Béziers Republic reacts to the wireless of the police officers pic.twitter.com/5s12NnYFJd
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 20, 2025
“This is a working hypothesis. We can make a link with a whole series of arrests that have taken place in recent days, small narcotics of narcotics. We can say that it is a reaction compared to the right work that these police have done in recent days in this district”explained the magistrate.
Raphaël Balland insisted on his desire to want “drying out the market” and hopes that the fight against “Drug trafficking is a national cause”.
Between 30 and 50 individuals, sometimes hooded
As a reminder, on the night of Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 July, “entre 30 and 50 individuals, some of which were hooded “ attacked the police in this popular district of Béziers, as indicated in Midi Libre Fabrice Cantele, director of the municipal police, also present on the scene.
The firefighters intervened at the rue Franco for a car fire, garbage lights and urban furniture. Upon arrival, mortar fire launched on an apartment ignited a four -story building. The fire soldiers had to deploy a scale to save a person blocked on the fourth floor and other refugees on the roof.
A relocated family
The emergency services intervened under the protection of the internal security forces. Eleven people were evacuated from 4e floor and supported at the victim regrouping center in order to be examined. The firefighters managed to turn off the fire.
Review of the riot: a burned car; A dozen lit garbage lights; An apartment of 130 m² entirely destroyed by the flames. A family was relocated to a hotel. A police officer was burned in the second degree.
Which makes Emmanuelle Ménard react, municipal councilor in Béziers: “It is unacceptable. This night, our police forces were taken in a real ambush […] Are these reprisals in the face of the determined struggle that we lead against traffickers in our neighborhoods? Let them know: the dealers will not make the law in Béziers. We will not give in. All our thoughts go to the police and the help mobilized. We will continue with the same determination, to act firmly to protect our inhabitants and to retreat violence and traffic. “
