Hundreds of French police officers have been injured in the wake of several nights of unrest, according to the French Ministry of Interior. The clashes between officers and rioters have been reported in various parts of the country, with incidents of violence and arson occurring.
The French Ministry of Interior also provided updated figures, stating that 875 people were taken into custody during the recent unrest. Additionally, around 1,900 cars have been set on fire since Thursday, and fires were ignited at 500 public buildings, including police stations. In response to the crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron has convened a meeting to discuss the situation.
In the interest of safety, the regional authority responsible for public transport in the greater Paris region, IDFM, announced the temporary closure of bus and tram services in Paris at 9:00 p.m. This measure aims to protect employees and travelers amid the ongoing unrest.
In the southern city of Pau, a police station was targeted by a Molotov cocktail, as confirmed by local officials. Social media footage captured fires being set ablaze in major cities during the night. In the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, where a police killing took place, rioters launched projectiles at officers.
To tackle the ongoing unrest, approximately 40,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed across the country, with 5,000 officers on duty in Paris alone.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne stated that a crisis meeting, including French President Emmanuel Macron, will assess all options to restore order in the country.
Borne emphasized the importance of national unity and restoring order, considering all available measures, including the possibility of declaring a state of emergency. Such a declaration would grant the French government the authority to impose curfews and implement broader measures to address the riots effectively.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has called on France to address the issue of racism within its security forces. The UN expressed concern over the killing of a 17-year-old of North African descent by the police, urging the country to address deep-rooted issues of racism and racial discrimination within law enforcement. The UN emphasized the importance of peaceful assembly and called on authorities to ensure that police use force in addressing violent elements during demonstrations while upholding principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution, and accountability.
The riots have primarily taken place in the western Parisian suburb of Nanterre, where the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel occurred earlier this week.
