France prepares for fifth night of violence after Macron cancels Germany visit

Issuance of: 2023/01/07 – 20:49

The French president felt compelled to postpone a state visit to Germany, which was due to begin on Sunday, due to ongoing unrest.

France’s interior ministry revised the number of arrests on Friday to a maximum of 1,311 on Twitter. But despite the increase in arrests, the ministry said the violence was “less intense” than the night before.

Reflecting the Macron government’s decision to deploy 45,000 police officers on Friday, the same number of police officers, along with armored vehicles, were dispatched this Saturday night to deal with the worst post-war crisis facing the presidential leadership. rice field. “yellow vest” Protests that brought much of France to a halt at the end of 2018.

Nahel, 17, of Algerian-Moroccan descent, was shot dead by police on Tuesday during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where buses were stopped.

quiet funeral

Meanwhile, hundreds of people reportedly lined up to enter the Great Mosque of Nanterre, guarded by volunteers in yellow vests and expressing support for Neher’s family. funeral Saturday afternoon.

Nahel was buried at Mont Valérien Cemetery in Nanterre in the presence of his mother and grandmother, mourners said.

Reports said the ceremony was held “very calmly, quietly and without any profanity”, adding that the ceremony was attended by a large number of young people in a “family-like” atmosphere.

The videotaped shooting of a teenager has rekindled long-standing grievances over police violence and racism in poor, mixed-race cities.

President Macron denied there was systemic racism in French law enforcement and accused social media platforms of promoting violence.

Store looted, event canceled

Looters have looted dozens of shops and set fire to 2,000 vehicles since the riots began, spreading to cities such as Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said more than 700 supermarkets, restaurants and bank branches were closed.looted, looted, and sometimes even burned to the ground I’ve been on the ground since Tuesday. “

Local authorities across the country have announced bans on demonstrations and ordered the suspension of public transport for the evening.

Interior Minister Gerard Dalmanin said more than 200 police officers had been injured, adding that the average age of those arrested was 17.

The riots bring back memories of a nationwide riot in 2005 that forced then-President Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency after two young men were electrocuted at a substation while hiding from police. ing.

Asked if the government could declare on Friday, emergency“Simply put, I have not ruled out any hypotheses. From tonight onwards, we will see what the president of the republic chooses,” he said.

Events, including two concerts at the Stade de France outside Paris, have been cancelled. Tour de France Organizers said they were ready to adapt to any situation when the cycling race entered the country from Spain on Monday.