The French government says hundreds more have been arrested in a fifth night of rioting sparked by the police killing of a 17-year-old, as police deployed reinforcements to flashpoint cities around the country.
Protesters, mostly minors, have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police in an outpouring of rage since an officer shot Nahel M. point blank at a traffic stop on Tuesday.
The killing was captured on video, which spread on social media and fueled anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France.
A day after Nahel was laid to rest in his hometown near Paris, the interior ministry said police had made about 700 arrests overnight after around 1,300 the previous night.
READ ALSO: Joshua To Earn Record N45.5bn In Saudi Boxing Clash
Some 45 police officers or gendarmes were injured, 577 vehicles torched, 74 buildings set on fire and 871 fires set in streets and other public spaces, it said.
Some 45,000 police had been deployed across France, the same number as the night before, and backup was dispatched to the previous days’ flashpoints, including Lyon, Grenoble and Marseille.
Of the total, 7,000 were concentrated on Paris and its suburbs, including along tourist hotspot the Champs Elysees avenue in central Paris following calls on social media to take rioting to the heart of the capital.
Leave feedback about this