Paris: riots subside
Family and friends say goodbye to Nahel M.
7/1/2023, 7:28 p.m
While the riots in France continue, Nahel M., who was killed during a police check in Nanterre, is buried with family and friends. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior sees the riots abate. Nevertheless, the country is gearing up for another night of violence.
Four days after the death of 17-year-old Nahel M. during a police check near Paris, friends and relatives said goodbye to him. A funeral service began around noon in the mosque in Nanterre near Paris. The family had wished that no press should attend the funeral service and the subsequent burial. The youth’s death sparked riots across the country.
The daily newspaper “Le Parisien” reported that a white coffin was laid out in the mosque around noon. A security zone was set up around the building, to which only selected people had access. The newspaper “Le Figaro” wrote that hundreds of people attended the funeral ceremonies. Meanwhile, the protests and riots triggered by the 17-year-old’s death continue. President Emmanuel Macron postponed a state visit to Germany planned for Sunday due to the crisis.
In several cities, mainly young rioters clashed with the police on Saturday night. According to preliminary figures from the Interior Ministry, 1,350 vehicles were set on fire across the country, 234 buildings were set on fire or damaged and 2,560 fires were set on roads in the new riots. 79 police officers were injured. A total of 1,311 people were arrested, significantly more than the night before. Overall, however, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the violence has subsided.
Cities prepare for another riot night
The riots in Marseille were particularly violent. According to the police, a fire broke out in a supermarket “in connection” with the riots. In the center of the southern French port city, young and often masked demonstrators threw projectiles at police vans, and the police used tear gas. The unrest also continued in Paris. According to the authorities, the rioters are mobile, well-connected and often “very young” people.
The French authorities tightened their measures again on Friday to get the situation under control again. 45,000 police officers and gendarmes were mobilized, around 5,000 more than the night before. In addition, as of 9 p.m., buses and trams across the country were suspended and the sale of fireworks and flammable liquids was banned. Major events such as concerts have been canceled and night curfews have been imposed in several places.
In the Paris metropolitan area, bus and tram traffic should be closed again on Saturday evening and the evening Métro service should be shortened by one hour. In Marseille, all public transport should be stopped from 6 p.m. All protest rallies there were once again prohibited. A fan club of the football club Olympique Marseille called on all young residents of the city to exercise restraint.
France visitors cancel trips
The 17-year-old’s death in a traffic stop reignited resentment among many in France’s low-income and multicultural suburbs against alleged racial profiling by the police. There is talk of “racial profiling” when people are controlled because of their external characteristics, such as the color of their skin. The alleged shooter is in custody, the public prosecutor is investigating for manslaughter.
Because of the unrest, Germany, Great Britain and the USA had already called on their citizens with travel plans in France to be careful on Friday and updated their safety instructions. The chairman of the association of the hotel and catering industry, Thierry Marx, reported numerous reservation cancellations.