French village bans clowns for Halloween after terror wave

A French village has banned teenagers from dressing up as clowns for Halloween after people kitted out as the colourful pranksters have sown terror and violence in several parts of the country. The eerie trend of fake, evil clowns terrifying passers-by has hit several parts of France over recent weeks in what many see as a follow-on from hugely popular YouTube prank videos. Police have jailed or arrested more than a dozen teenagers after they dressed up as the pranksters and wrought havoc on the streets, at times armed with pistols, knives or baseball bats, sometimes beating people up.

It’s about protecting children by preventing any ill-intentioned clowns from mixing with residents.

Bruno Giraudo from the Vendargues village hall

The phenomenon in France has even prompted anti-clown vigilantism, forcing police to step in to try and quell growing hysteria. According to an order published on the village hall website, “individuals or groups of people aged 13 or more” are banned from dressing up as clowns on streets and in public spaces on October 31 and November 1. After that, any teenager wanting to dress up as the funny men so dear to children will have to ask for official authorisation.

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