France riots: 45,000 police deployed to restore order

Deutsche Welle

02 Jul 2023, 00:59

The French government has boosted nationwide police deployment to 45,000 in an attempt to quell unrest. Meanwhile, President Macron has urged parents to keep young rioters off the streets.

France's tourism sector worried about cancellations

Hotels and restaurants in France are facing cancellations while some have also suffered damage in the unrest, said Thierry Marx, president of the main association for hotel and catering industry employers.

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"Our hotel members have suffered a wave of cancellations of reservations in all the territories affected by the damage and clashes."

The French retail federation (FCD) also called for reinforced police security around stores.

The riots "gave rise to real scenes of looting," said the federation's managing director Jacques Creyssel.

"More than a hundred medium and large food or non-food stores vandalized, looted or even burned," he noted.

These incidents "are extremely serious and have an extremely heavy cost," Creyssel said.

Nine arrested in Nanterre

In Nanterre, where the shooting occurred Tuesday, police arrested nine people for "possessing Molotov cocktails and jerry cans of fuel."

Firefighters in the Parisian suburb extinguished the blazes set by protesters that left scorched remains of cars strewn across the streets.

Overall the situation was calmer in Paris overnight, according to local media.

The most violent incidents were reported in the cities of Lyon and Marseille.

Interior minister says violence easing

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 471 people had been arrested overnight.

He was visiting security forces deployed in Mantes-la-Jolie outside Paris early Saturday morning.

Darmanin said the violence was of "much less intensity," and there were "extremely calm departments."

Explosion in Marseille

Videos posted on social media showed an explosion rocking Marseille's old port area.

Authorities said they were investigating the cause but did not believe there were any casualties.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said reinforcements were deployed in the port city.

It followed an earlier call by Mayor Benoit Payan, who said the "violence is unacceptable."

Marseille's mayor calls for reinforcements

Marseille mayor Benoit Payan called for troop reinforcements saying the "scenes of looting and violence are unacceptable."

His city was initially spared the violence but was experiencing its second night of upheaval on Friday night.

Youths threw projectiles, set fires, and looted shops, police said.

They made 80 arrests, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

Mbappe calls for an end to the violence

French and Paris St-Germain football star Kylian Mbappe called for an end to the violence.

In a long post on Twitter, he expressed condolences to Nahel's family and said the circumstance of the teenager's death can't be ignored.

But the World Cup star also pointed out that rioters were destroying their neighborhoods in a wave of "self-destruction" that he said won't solve the issue.

"There are other peaceful and constructive ways to express yourself. That is where we should focus our energy and our thoughts," he wrote.

"The time of violence must end to give way to that of mourning, dialogue and reconstruction."

Marseille police report city center violence, gun store looting

Police in France's second city, Marseille, said rioters had looted a gun store in the city center and taken away some hunting rifles but had not been able to steal any ammunition.

One person had been arrested in possession of a firearm thought to hail from the store, police said.

The building was now under police guard.

Meanwhile, police for the broader Bouches du Rhone region including Marseille issued a warning to the public on Twitter about renewed violence on Friday evening.

"Numerous violent groups are still present in the city center of Marseille," police wrote. "They are regularly being dispersed by the effective [local police officers]. 42 arrests."

They advised members of the public, "Leave the sector and let the police work."

Paris police clear protesters from Place de la Concorde

Police started clearing protesters from the iconic Place de la Concorde in Paris on Friday evening after an impromptu demonstration.

"Clearing operation is ongoing on Place de la Concorde," police said in a statement.

Place de la Concorde is the largest square in the French capital.

'Root cause of anger' must be addressed, author tells DW

Anne-Sophie Simpere, an author and former researcher at Amnesty International, told DW that the violence in France will repeat itself unless long-term measures are taken.

"Considering the unrest and the damage, including the damage to public property, you can understand why [the government is] deploying forces," she said. "However, I think they have to address also the deep, root cause of the anger of these youth."

If the government focuses only on easing the current situation, "without taking long-term measures, I can bet that in a few years, it will start again," Simpere said, adding that systemic racism in the police force was a problem.

"But the problem is that to find a solution you have to admit that there is a problem."

The French government on Friday rejected accusations by the UN of racism among its police.

"Any accusation of racism or systemic discrimination in the police force in France is totally unfounded," the Foreign Ministry said.

France to deploy 45,000 police to tackle riots

France's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, says 45,000 police and gendarme officers will be deployed across the country on Friday evening.

The announcement came as authorities braced for a fourth night of violence.

Some 40,000 police were mobilized the previous evening to deal with unrest in the wake of the killing of 17-year-old Nahel in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

France curbs public transport across the country over riots

The French Interior Ministry says it has asked all local authorities to shut down public bus and tram services before sunset in a bid to restore order.

The measure would apply nationwide from 9 p.m. (1900 GMT).

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin issued the order after attending a crisis meeting Friday led by French President Emmanuel Macron.

"The next hours will be decisive and I know I can count on your flawless efforts," Darmanin wrote to police officers and firefighters working to quell the unrest that has defined the past three nights.

The Paris region had already announced plans to curb public transport services to protect transport workers and passengers from the violence.

Darmanin also ordered a ban on the sale and carrying of fireworks. The ministry said it was also banning the sale of canisters of gasoline, acids and other chemicals and flammable liquids.

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