Third night of rioting in France with schools and buses burned and shops looted
France was hit by a third night of riots on Thursday which saw clashes in towns and cities across the country, schools burned and shops looted on Paris's Rue du Rivoli. Police made almost 700 arrests across the country.
President Emmanuel Macron will on Friday afternoon chair another crisis meeting after a third night of riots following the death of a 17-year-old at the hands of police - on the agenda will be whether to impose a state of emergency, as politicians on the right are calling for.
Around 40,000 police were deployed on Thursday night, but it was not enough to stop trouble flaring in towns and cities across France - buildings including mairies and schools were burned and police attacked with fireworks and missiles.
In total 667 people were arrested, interior minister Gérald Darmanin announced, and 247 police officers injured in what he described as "a night of rare violence".
Overall 492 buildings and 2,000 vehicles were burned and 3,880 fires started nationwide, according to official figures.
Thursday night also saw incidences of looting, with small groups of youths venturing in to central Paris and trashing several shops on the Rue du Rivoli, close to the Louvre.
Around a dozen people were arrested, including several found at Gare du Nord station with bags of stolen clothes and shoes.
🔴 Un tabac à été vandalisé et pillé à #Nanterre : toutes les cigarettes ont été volées.
« Ils ont profité du départ des policiers […] il y a plusieurs milliers d’euros de dégâts » explique la propriétaire. pic.twitter.com/G8CEUcBaQB
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) June 30, 2023
Worst affected were the Paris suburbs - including the western suburb of Nanterre, where the police shooting took place. Despite having armoured vehicles and helicopters, police came under sustained attack with missiles and fireworks thrown.
🔴 ALERTE - Les forces de police quittent le quartier #PabloPicasso sous des centaines de projectiles et mortiers.
Le blindé de la BRI ne semblent pas calmer les affrontements, au contraire.
(Video quelques minutes avant cette exfiltration que je n’ai pas pu filmer) pic.twitter.com/cEiH3h9xor
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) June 29, 2023
The capital's bus and tram network was halted at 9pm and remains severely disturbed on Friday morning - a full tram service will not restart until midday while buses are also disrupted after a bus depot in Aubervilliers was set ablaze, destroying 12 vehicles.
Résultat du sinistre à Fort d’Aubervilliers, bravo les jeunes, continuez à alimenter cette stigmatisation qui « vous fait tant de mal » pic.twitter.com/ob8n41HVGo
— mrsy (@mrsy_off) June 30, 2023
But clashes took place around the country including in Marseille - where a library burned - Nantes, Lille, Dijon, Strasbourg and Toulouse as well as several smaller towns.
La bibliothèque de l'Alcazar à Marseille pic.twitter.com/rsTtm7qWi3
— Guilhem RICAVY (@guilhemricavy) June 29, 2023
Government and law enforcement will now have to decide on their strategy over the weekend, with fears growing that France is in for 'another 2005' - when rioting gripped the country for three weeks after the death of two young boys at the hands of police.
OPINION Paris riots could spiral into nationwide violence like in 2005
The police officer who shot 17-year-old Nahel was on Thursday evening charged with voluntary homicide and remains in custody.
But the widespread anger shows no sign of abating, with the shooting the latest in a long line of violent behaviour from French police officers, especially towards young men of colour.
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President Emmanuel Macron will on Friday afternoon chair another crisis meeting after a third night of riots following the death of a 17-year-old at the hands of police - on the agenda will be whether to impose a state of emergency, as politicians on the right are calling for.
Around 40,000 police were deployed on Thursday night, but it was not enough to stop trouble flaring in towns and cities across France - buildings including mairies and schools were burned and police attacked with fireworks and missiles.
In total 667 people were arrested, interior minister Gérald Darmanin announced, and 247 police officers injured in what he described as "a night of rare violence".
Overall 492 buildings and 2,000 vehicles were burned and 3,880 fires started nationwide, according to official figures.
Thursday night also saw incidences of looting, with small groups of youths venturing in to central Paris and trashing several shops on the Rue du Rivoli, close to the Louvre.
Around a dozen people were arrested, including several found at Gare du Nord station with bags of stolen clothes and shoes.
🔴 Un tabac à été vandalisé et pillé à #Nanterre : toutes les cigarettes ont été volées.
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) June 30, 2023
« Ils ont profité du départ des policiers […] il y a plusieurs milliers d’euros de dégâts » explique la propriétaire. pic.twitter.com/G8CEUcBaQB
Worst affected were the Paris suburbs - including the western suburb of Nanterre, where the police shooting took place. Despite having armoured vehicles and helicopters, police came under sustained attack with missiles and fireworks thrown.
🔴 ALERTE - Les forces de police quittent le quartier #PabloPicasso sous des centaines de projectiles et mortiers.
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) June 29, 2023
Le blindé de la BRI ne semblent pas calmer les affrontements, au contraire.
(Video quelques minutes avant cette exfiltration que je n’ai pas pu filmer) pic.twitter.com/cEiH3h9xor
The capital's bus and tram network was halted at 9pm and remains severely disturbed on Friday morning - a full tram service will not restart until midday while buses are also disrupted after a bus depot in Aubervilliers was set ablaze, destroying 12 vehicles.
Résultat du sinistre à Fort d’Aubervilliers, bravo les jeunes, continuez à alimenter cette stigmatisation qui « vous fait tant de mal » pic.twitter.com/ob8n41HVGo
— mrsy (@mrsy_off) June 30, 2023
But clashes took place around the country including in Marseille - where a library burned - Nantes, Lille, Dijon, Strasbourg and Toulouse as well as several smaller towns.
La bibliothèque de l'Alcazar à Marseille pic.twitter.com/rsTtm7qWi3
— Guilhem RICAVY (@guilhemricavy) June 29, 2023
Government and law enforcement will now have to decide on their strategy over the weekend, with fears growing that France is in for 'another 2005' - when rioting gripped the country for three weeks after the death of two young boys at the hands of police.
OPINION Paris riots could spiral into nationwide violence like in 2005
The police officer who shot 17-year-old Nahel was on Thursday evening charged with voluntary homicide and remains in custody.
But the widespread anger shows no sign of abating, with the shooting the latest in a long line of violent behaviour from French police officers, especially towards young men of colour.
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