The French government deployed 45,000 police on the streets to quell protests and violence for the fourth night in a row, but the tight security arrangements could not prevent further clashes. Saturday morning was tense and violent again in cities like Marseille and Lyon, but overall it was a little calmer than before, especially in the Paris region. According to the French Interior Ministry, more than 1,300 people have been detained. Le Monde.
The fourth night of violence forced French President Emmanuel Macron to postpone his trip to Germany, which was due to start this Sunday.
According to the Interior Ministry, the riots that erupted on Tuesday following the death of a 17-year-old boy who failed to comply with “Operation Stop” when he was shot by police were less violent than in previous days. and nights.
French police made 1311 arrests across France, “79 policemen and guards were injured”, about 1350 vehicles were set on fire, 234 buildings were burnt or damaged and about 2560 fires were reported on public roads.
France’s second-largest city, Marseille, had a restless night, prompting French Interior Minister Gerard Dorman to send reinforcements to the city. Police had already made 88 arrests at around 2:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. in Lisbon) with groups of young people often masked and “very mobile”.
During a visit to the north-west of Paris, Turmanin announced at midnight that the violence had “declined”, with 471 arrests already made across the country and in the centers of tension in Marseille and Lyon, the big cities to the south-east.
In Lyon and Grenoble (central-eastern France), clashes continued late into the night between groups of young people, often masked, running or riding scooters, and confronted the police, who responded with tear gas.
The Parisian region was not spared, as three cities near the capital and others in the provinces decided to impose curfews.
Crowd at Nahal’s funeral
In Nanterre, in the Paris region, where Nahel M. was killed by a police officer on Tuesday during a traffic stop, residents gathered this Saturday for the funeral of the 17-year-old. The filmed death has reignited debate over racism and police violence in France.
“Saturday, July 1, will be a day of mourning for Nahal’s family,” the family’s lawyers wrote, asking the media not to attend the ceremony “to give the bereaved family the privacy and respect you need.”
The funeral takes place at the Ibn Badis mosque in Nanterre, where a large crowd has gathered, and in the street opposite it is reported that two hundred people lay their clothes on the ground and pray. Le Monde.
Salsabil, a young woman of Arab descent, told Reuters she had come to support her family. “I think it’s important that we stay united.”
Marie, 60, has lived in Nanterre for 50 years and admits she has always had problems with the police. “This has to stop. The government is completely disconnected from our reality.”
“If you have the wrong skin color, the police are very dangerous,” said a young man who declined to be identified and claimed to be Nahal’s friend.
Before the funeral, Darmanin announced that “more specialized units” such as the RAID (Special Forces Unit) and GIGN (Gendarmerie Intervention Group), elite troops of the security forces, would take to the streets today.
Light armored vehicles were also sent into the streets to reduce tensions compared to the previous night when 492 buildings were attacked, 2000 vehicles were burnt and dozens of shops were looted.