France is on high alert as over 45,000 law enforcement officers, including special units, take to the streets to fight against riots and looting that have engulfed the country. The Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, revealed that more than 300 police officers and gendarmes were injured in the first three days of unrest.
Violence and looting hit France in a fourth night of protests as massively deployed police made nearly 1,000 arrests and the country braced for more riots ahead of the funeral Saturday of the teenager who was killed by an officer during a traffic stop ➡️ https://t.co/cNu5quQEue pic.twitter.com/mlPuUBIj8h
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 1, 2023
Darmanin also confirmed that armored personnel carriers have been deployed in the Paris region to quell the violence. As protests continue, French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, has urged cabinet ministers to stay in Paris until the situation is under control. The government has imposed a temporary ban on the sale and transportation of fireworks, petrol canisters, and other flammable substances during this period of unrest.
Paris daily routine – ignoring the protest because ✨food first✨
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With tensions high, reports describe French police detaining young people in the streets, and looting incidents occurring in Marseille. The unrest began after the fatal shooting of Nahel M., a 17-year-old boy, by police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre during a traffic stop. This controversial incident has triggered a call for authorities to address the deep problems of racism and discrimination within law enforcement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The officer who fatally shot Nahel M. has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and is currently in custody.
With no end in sight to the protests and violence, France braces for further unrest, as law enforcement officers continue to mobilize to keep the peace.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
