This Thursday evening was again marked by significant urban violence in Lyon and its agglomeration, after the death of young Nahel on Tuesday in Nanterre, killed by a police officer during a refusal to comply.
AT Lyons, clashes with the police broke out in the 3rd arrondissement. According to several witnesses, the 3/6 police station was targeted by rioters armed with fireworks. A bus and cars were burned in this same arrondissement, on the side of Avenue Georges Pompidou a few meters from the Part-Dieu station. Numerous voluntary fires of garbage cans or street furniture were also lit, as in the 9th arrondissement near La Duchère or in the 8th arrondissement. A tram was also heavily damaged on Avenue Thiers.
AT Rillieux-la-Pape, attempts to set fire to the media library, the crèche, a restaurant, the municipal police station which was still occupied were recorded. The mayor of the town Julien Smati “condemns” the facts.
AT Venissieux, where mortars rang out for long hours, a tram station was destroyed with iron bars. At least one train would also have experienced the start of a fire. On the side of Vaulx-en-Velin a media library would have been, again, attacked. The municipal police station was also targeted.
AT Villeurbanne the tension was also maximum despite the passing storm. In the town, a construction site was first set on fire causing thick smoke. We will also note this intrusion within the Grandclément primary school, rue Lafontaine. According to our information, thugs damaged the building before the police intervened. Businesses were also targeted. A tram was completely set on fire. The facade of the regional administration institute was burned down.
AT Bron, it is a TCL bus which was also reduced to ashes rue Paul Pic. It is not known if any injuries were taken care of.
A gendarmerie helicopter had been mobilized to carry out overflights of hot spots in the Lyon area. The RAID had also been deployed in the field, in particular to go to Vaulx-en-Velin where the situation was also tense with clashes between young people and police.
According to several witnesses, fires were also perpetrated on the side of craponneon the public road.
The surface TCL network had been completely interrupted during the evening to avoid a drama. All buses and trams have thus returned to the depots, leaving many users without a solution. Some lines are still disrupted this Friday morning.
At least a dozen arrests were carried out by the numerous police officers mobilized, while 43 police officers were slightly injured during the riots.
J.D.