Based on the sources and our conversation, the period following Louis XVIII's return to power in July 1815 saw widespread and severe persecution of Protestants in Nismes and the surrounding areas of France.

The violence and suffering were overwhelmingly directed at the Protestant population. The sources explicitly state that the "difference of religious opinions is the real and only cause" of the atrocities. Although sometimes carried out under the guise of political loyalty or false accusations, the actions were fundamentally religiously motivated.

Protestants suffered immensely. They were subjected to slaughter and massacre, their houses were attacked and plundered, and their property was ravaged, destroyed, or stolen. They faced extortion and forced payments to avoid further harm. Protestant women were subjected to horrific torture at Nismes, being publicly beaten with wooden implements fitted with nails in the form of the fleur-de-lis, causing severe injury and death. Religious practices were also targeted, with churches closed or converted and public worship facing disruption and threats.

A significant aspect was the failure of authorities to intervene. Local magistrates and administrative officials largely winked at or ignored the violence, and in many cases, local authorities actively supported the perpetrators, including troops, national guards, and armed mobs. Protestant refugees in Paris sent a petition to Louis XVIII, appealing for his intervention and claiming he had been deceived about the true extent of the horrors. This petition highlights the desperate situation and the lack of effective protection for Protestants on the ground.

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