Global Courant
Rioters took to the streets in cities across France for a fourth night in response to the police killing of a 17-year-old, identified only as Nahel M., on Tuesday.
The chaos continued until Saturday morning when 1,311 arrests were made across the country on Friday night and 2,500 fires were reported, according to the Interior Ministry, which noted fewer fires and attacks on police stations than the night before.
Despite the higher number of arrests compared to Thursday night’s 917, the government suggested that violence had started to ease due to the deployment of 40,000 police officers on Thursday.
While the massive presence of at least 45,000 officers on Friday night did not deter protesters, chaos continued in several cities, including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and French overseas territories. A 54-year-old has died after being hit by a stray bullet in French Guiana, according to The Associated Press.
FRANCE DEPLOYS THOUSANDS OF POLICE OFFICER Amid Riots, HUNDREDS Arrested
At least 994 people were arrested across France on Friday evening and Saturday morning as riots continue following the police killing of a 17-year-old. (AP)
Hundreds of police officers and firefighters across the country were injured during the four nights of rioting, including another 79. The number of injured protesters has not been released by authorities.
AT LEAST 200 FRENCH OFFICIALS WOUNDED, 600 ARRESTED IN THIRD NIGHT OF riots SINCE FAULTY POLICE SHOOTING
Firefighters in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre extinguished fires set by protesters scorching cars on Saturday, and in the neighboring town of Colombes, protesters overturned rubbish bins to use as makeshift barricades.
Looters broke into a gun shop on Friday evening and made off with weapons in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, according to police. Officers arrested nearly 90 people in Marseille as protesters set fire to cars and broke shop windows to loot items inside.
Protesters vandalized buildings in the eastern city of Lyon, where a third of about 30 arrests were for theft, police said. Authorities said there were fires in the streets after a protest of more than 1,000 people earlier Friday night.
Despite government pleas for quieter demonstrations and tighter security, violence was seen in daylight on Friday. An Apple Store was looted in the eastern city of Strasbourg, where police eventually fired tear gas. In a shopping center near Paris, the windows of a fast-food restaurant were smashed and officers repelled people trying to break into a shuttered shop.
More than 45,000 police officers have been deployed across France to bring chaotic riots under control. (AP)
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Friday ordered a nationwide overnight halt to all public buses and streetcars, which have been targeted by rioters. Darmanin also said he warned social media platforms not to allow themselves to be used for calls for violence.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who blamed social media for fueling violence, specifically singled out Snapchat and TikTok as platforms used to organize unrest, accusing them of serving as conduits for copycat violence. Macron also asked parents to keep their children off the streets.
RIOTS IN FRANCE: WHAT HOLIDAYS SHOULD KNOW AS GREAT PROTESTS CONTINUE
The riots were prompted on Tuesday by an incident in which a police officer shot and killed the teen after a chase. Police say he refused to pull over his vehicle and could injure others.
The unidentified police officer accused of killing Nahel received a preliminary charge of voluntary manslaughter. Preliminary charges mean that investigating judges have a strong suspicion of wrongdoing, but must collect additional information before a case is brought to trial.
Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said his initial investigation led him to believe that the officer’s use of his weapon had no legal justification.
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Nahel’s mother told France 5 that she was angry with the accused officer, but not with the police in general.
“He saw a little Arab-looking kid, he wanted to kill himself,” she said via The Associated Press. “A police officer cannot take his gun and shoot our children, take our children’s lives.”
Family and friends will hold a funeral gathering for Nahel in his hometown of Nanterre on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
