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45,000 police forces are on duty on Saturday night. There is looting or rioting in several cities.
What happened? France has been shaken by violent riots for days. The trigger was the death of a young person during a control by shots from a police officer. He was charged with manslaughter and is in custody. In several cities, including Marseille, Lyon and Paris, there were riots on Saturday night for the fourth night in a row. There are reports of looting or riots. There have also been riots in French overseas territories. Authorities in Paris decided on Friday to interrupt local traffic in the evening. The youth who was shot dead during the police check is to be buried on Saturday.
How are the police reacting? According to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, 45,000 police officers were on duty on Saturday night, 5,000 more than the night before. According to Darmanin, 270 people had been arrested by midnight, more than 80 of them in the port city of Marseille. According to him, there were at least 874 people the previous night.
How are politicians reacting? Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne did not rule out the possibility of declaring a nationwide state of emergency. For the time being, however, she wants to support the emergency services and provide the Ministry of the Interior with additional funds. President Macron called another government crisis meeting. For his part, he was ready to declare a state of emergency. He also appealed to parents to keep their young children from rioting and blamed social networks for the escalation of violence.
Were there any other reactions? The UN human rights organization called on the French authorities to ensure that police operations were carried out appropriately and without discrimination. “This is a time when the country needs to seriously address the underlying issues of racism and discrimination in the police force,” a spokeswoman said.
How big is the damage? Around 1,900 cars have burned out since Thursday. In addition, around 500 public buildings such as police stations and city halls were set on fire, media reported. 9900 firefighters were deployed. In the greater Paris area alone, 934 cars went up in flames. There were fires in 212 buildings. According to the prefecture, 74 cars burned out in Strasbourg.
What do you know about the exact course of events? According to France Info, the two patrol officers initially stated that the youth had wanted to run them over. They later backed off from this version and said he hadn’t followed their instructions and then suddenly stepped on the gas. The detained police officer’s lawyer told BFMTV that the officer regretted shooting the youth and had apologized to his family.
Has this ever happened? The riots bring back memories of the 2005 riots, when President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency. The trigger was the death of two young men who were electrocuted while fleeing the police.