Even on the fourth night after the death of a 17-year-old by a police officer, there were riots in several cities in France. A man died during the protests.
In view of the riots that have been going on in France for days following a fatal police shot at a 17-year-old, the government is using increasingly harsh means to get the situation under control again. In order to prevent renewed violent protests, they mobilized 45,000 police officers and gendarmes for Saturday night. In addition, the traffic of buses and trams was stopped nationwide in the evening.
Nevertheless, riots broke out again. In the cities of Lyon, Marseille and Grenoble, roving groups looted shops in the evening. Demonstrators also set fire to cars and garbage cans again. In Strasbourg, rioters attacked several shops before nightfall.
As Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced during the night, 270 people were arrested during the most recent riots, according to a preliminary balance sheet, 80 of them in Marseille. The security forces have now sent “reinforcements” to the southern French port city, Darmanin wrote on Twitter.
According to the Reuters news agency, rioters looted an arms shop in central Marseille. They took some hunting rifles with them, but no ammunition was stolen, the police in Marseille said. One person was arrested with a gun that probably came from the gun shop. The shop is now being guarded by the police.
Armored vehicles of the Gendarmerie
President Emmanuel Macron had previously denounced an “unacceptable instrumentalization of the death of a young person” at a crisis meeting. Around a third of those arrested are “young, sometimes very young”. Macron appealed to parents to ensure that their children do not take part in the violent protests.
The President also called on online networks such as Snapchat or Tiktok to “deal responsibly” with the protests. “Violent gatherings” are organized on these platforms.
The gendarmerie used armored vehicles on Saturday night to get the situation under control. Major events have been canceled across France. On the instructions of the Ministry of the Interior, bus and tram traffic across the country was stopped from 9 p.m. The sale of fireworks, petrol cans and flammable and chemical products should also be systematically prohibited. At least three municipalities near Paris, as well as several other places, imposed night curfews.
Young man dies after falling from roof
The French national team called for an end to the violence and instead to give space for “mourning, dialogue and reconstruction”. It should be possible to find “more peaceful and constructive ways” to “express oneself,” said the statement published by captain Kylian Mbappé on various social media platforms.
On Friday night, the security forces arrested around 900 people during the riots. Despite the massive police presence, 492 buildings were attacked, around 2,000 vehicles were set on fire and dozens of shops were looted.
On the fringes of the protests on Friday night, a young man died after falling from a roof. According to the police and prosecutors, the incident happened in Petit-Quevilly, in northern France, near the city of Rouen. However, there were different reports about the exact circumstances. Police and prefecture officials initially said the accident happened “during a looting” of a supermarket. It was later said, however, that the investigation into the circumstances was ongoing.
riots also in the Caribbean
There have also been riots in French overseas territories in the Caribbean. Authorities from French Guiana reported the most serious violence to date. Officials there came under fire late Thursday evening in the capital, Cayenne. A ricochet hit a 54-year-old civil servant who was on his balcony. He had died.
Public security official Philippe Jos spoke to reporters of a level of violence that was difficult to understand. Unknown persons set garbage cans on fire in the Cayenne and damaged buildings. Thick smoke billowed from some neighborhoods as police tried to contain the riots. At least six people were arrested, including five minors. Authorities called for calm while preparing for another possible night of violence.
French Guiana Prefect Thierry Queffelec announced shops and public transport would close earlier on Friday evening. There is also a temporary ban on selling and transporting petrol at night. On the night of Saturday, 300 additional police officers would be mobilized, and drones and helicopters would also be used, Queffelec said. Smaller protests were also reported from Martinique and Guadeloupe, but no injuries or deaths.
Updated safety instructions for travelers
The protests and riots were triggered by the death of 17-year-old Nahel M. The teenager died on Tuesday during a traffic check in the Paris suburb of Nanterre from a police officer’s gunshot. He is to be buried on Saturday, according to Nanterre Mayor Patrick Jarry.
A preliminary investigation was initiated against the suspected shooter and he was taken into custody. According to the public prosecutor’s office, he is accused of “intentional homicide”. The use of the weapon in the control was not justified, the prosecutor said. According to his lawyer, Laurent-Franck Liénard, the officer in custody asked the victim’s family for forgiveness.
Germany, the UK and the US called on citizens planning to travel to France to exercise caution over the unrest and updated their safety advice.