Looted Paris shops in ruins amid riots for teen shot by police
More than 600 people were arrested overnight across France during a third night of violent protests over the police killing of a teenager earlier this week.
The boy, identified as Nahel M, of North African descent, was shot dead by an officer following a traffic stop in Nanterre, about 11km northwest of Paris city centre, on Tuesday. The officer has been charged with voluntary homocide and apologised to the boy’s family.
Some 40,000 officers were deployed across the country on Thursday in a bid to attempt to quell further clashes but a total of 667 were detained by police.
French president Emmanuel Macron will hold a new government emergency meeting later on Friday to discuss the crisis with ministers and officials.
In Nanterre, protesters torched cars, barricaded streets and hurled projectiles at police following an earlier peaceful vigil held to pay tribute to the youth.
In central Paris, a Nike shoe store was broken into, and several people were arrested after store windows were smashed along the Rue de Rivoli shopping street, Paris police said.
Nearly 700 people arrested across France as violence continues for third night over teen’s killing
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 07:39
Macron goes to Elton John gig as Paris burns in mass protests
Footage showed him tapping his foot along to the 76-year-old pianist as he performed hits such as “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Burn Down the Mission”.
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 10:25
Watch: Looted Paris shops in ruins amid riots
A video shows shops in Paris ruined after a third night of violent protests over the police killing of a teenager.
Protesters erected barricades, lit fires and shot fireworks at police in French streets overnight as tensions grew over the deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old.
Overnight protesters lit a fire at the city hall of the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois and set a bus depot ablaze in Aubervilliers.
Shops were also looted and damaged during the unrest
Looted Paris shops in ruins amid riots for teen shot by police
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 10:19
Clean-up operation underway
The clean-up from yesterday’s riots in Nanterre is underway. It’s the third morning in a row for municipal workers here, with one telling me he expects to be back again tomorrow morning, Anthony Cuthbertson reports from Nanterre.
Dozens of shopfronts are smashed up, with one bank completely gutted by arsonists. Some fires are still smouldering, and one street alone has six burnt‐out cars lined up on one side.
“We closed early yesterday, expecting trouble,” says Pascal Mitieus, as he picks broken glass from the shattered windows of his salad shop.
“It was calm when I left but by 4pm it had turned to hell. It’s getting worse and worse. It’s become completely out of control.”
Despite the mess it’s remarkably peaceful here this morning. A few feet from a burned out carousel a man is fishing in the lake, which protesters were using yesterday to wash teargas off their face. “I missed all that,” he says. “I was sleeping.”
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 09:19
Unrest in pictures: Violent protests break out across France
(AFP via Getty Images)
Fireworks explode as policemen stand by during protests in Roubaix, northern France.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Police stand by as material explodes in the Cite Pablo Picasso area of Nanterre, north-west of Paris.
(AFP via Getty Images)
A firefighter puts out a fire during protests in Lille, northern France.
(AFP via Getty Images)
People look at burning tyres blocking a street in Bordeaux, south-western France.
(AP)
Riot police officers charge at youths during a demonstration in Paris.
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 08:53
Schools, town halls and police stations targeted in protests
Schools, town halls and police stations were targeted by people setting fires, and police used tear gas, water cannons and dispersion grenades against rioters, the spokesperson said.
Interior minister Gerald Darmanin on Friday denounced what he called a night of “rare violence”.
His office described the arrests as a sharp increase on previous operations as part of an overall government efforts to be “extremely firm” with rioters.
The government has stopped short of declaring a state of emergency – a measure taken to quell weeks of rioting around France that followed the accidental death of two boys fleeing police in 2005.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 08:43
Where is Nanterre?
Nanterre, where Nahel M was killed, is a working-class district about 11km northwest of Paris city centre.
Protests erupted there after the 17-year-old was shot dead by a police officer and have since spread to the capital and other parts of France.
It has a population of around 95,000.
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 08:24
200 officers injured during clashes
At least 200 police officers were injured during clashes last night, authorities have said.
Fireworks and other missiles were thrown at officers deployed to quell unrest.
Armored police vehicles rammed through the charred remains of cars that had been flipped and set ablaze in the northwestern of Nanterre, where a police officer shot the teen.
On the other side of Paris, protesters lit a fire at the city hall of the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois and set a bus depot ablaze in Aubervilliers.
The French capital also saw fires and some stores ransacked.
EUR-GEN FRANCIA-TIROTEO POLICÍA
(AP)
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 08:08
Macron to hold second crisis meeting
French president Emmanuel Macron will hold a new government emergency meeting later on Friday after riots erupted for the third night in a row across the country in protest over the deadly shooting of a teen by police earlier in the week, reported BFM TV, citing the Elysee palace.
The meeting will take place at 1100 GMT, added BFM TV.
On Thursday, Mr Macron described the fatal shooting as “inexplicable and inexcusable” – saying “nothing justifies” a young person being killed
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 07:45
Recap: Where are the French riots and why are they happening?
The 17-year-old, identified as Nahel, was driving a car on Tuesday morning when he was pulled over for breaking traffic rules, prosecutors said. The teenager was too young to hold a full driving license in France.
Chris Stevenson has more:
Matt Mathers30 June 2023 07:41