Following a policeman’s killing of a teenager, France‘s president, Emmanuel Macron hurriedly departed from an EU summit on Friday to engage in a crisis meeting. The third consecutive night of protests witnessed the torching of vehicles, looting of stores, and the subsequent arrest of hundreds of people.
According to sources within the police, the night was defined by the widespread looting of shops, including high-profile outlets like the flagship branches of Nike and Zara in Paris, rather than encounters of a violent nature between protesters and law enforcement.
In addition to the incidents mentioned, public buildings were also subjected to attacks. Regional authorities reported that a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a police station in the Pyrenees city of Pau, while an elementary school and a district office were set ablaze in the northern town of Lille.
The tragic death of 17-year-old Nahel, resulting from a fatal shooting, has stirred up longstanding issues surrounding policing and racial profiling in France’s low-income and multi-ethnic suburbs.
President Emmanuel Macron was witnessed leaving the European Council summit in Brussels by APF Journalists to chair a crisis meeting addressing the violence. This marked the second emergency discussion in as many days.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne stated before the meeting that the government was evaluating ‘all options,’ including the potential declaration of a state of emergency, in order to restore order.
In an effort to address the unrest, around 40,000 police officers and gendarmes, accompanied by elite units like Raid and GIGN, were dispatched to various cities overnight.
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Curfews were enforced in municipalities in the vicinity of Paris, while bans on public gatherings were enforced in Lille and Tourcoing in the north of the country.
Despite the substantial deployment of security personnel, incidents of violence and property damage were reported across different areas.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin provided an update, stating that 667 individuals were arrested amidst a night characterized by violence. He also confirmed that 249 police officers sustained injuries; however, none of the injuries were deemed serious.
The outbreak of violence, seemingly connected to the police shooting in Paris, was displayed in Brussels as well, chaperoning President Macron to the Belgian capital. According to the Brussels police, 63 individuals were detained late on Thursday for their role in setting fires and establishing barricades.
Since the video-recorded incident of Nahel being shot at point-blank range during a traffic stop, France has been consumed in a wave of protests that have persisted for consecutive nights
In an interview with the France 5 channel, Mounia, the mother of Nahel, opened up about her thoughts and feelings for the first time since the shooting took place: ‘I don’t blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son.’
In her conversation with the France 5 channel, Mounia conveyed her belief that the 38-year-old officer, who was taken into custody and charged with voluntary manslaughter on Thursday, had the intention to kill Nahel simply because he saw ‘an Arab face, a little kid.’
Mounia led the memorial march for Nahel, which culminated in Nanterre, the western Paris suburb where the teenager was both a resident and met his untimely demise. Regrettably, the conclusion of the march was marred by riot police using tear gas, and multiple cars being set ablaze.
The presence of heightened security measures seemed to have little deterrent effect on the unrest that occurred on Thursday night, as the incidents continued despite the increased security.