Macron blames social media for riots
After a third night of rioting sparked by the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel M, French President Emmanuel Macron blames social media for spreading unrest and says some protesters are exploiting the teen’s death.
The French leader has also called on parents to keep their children at home as the protests show little sign of abating.Macron calls on parents to keep child rioters off the streets
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on parents to keep child rioters off the streets, adding that about a third of the 875 people arrested overnight for rioting were “young, or very young”.
“It’s the responsibility of parents to keep them at home,” he told reporters after chairing a crisis security meeting. “It’s not the state’s job to act in their place,” he added, urging social media companies to remove the “most sensitive” content related to the rioting.
Macron also said that additional security forces would be deployed to contain nationwide unrest in the wake of a teen’s killing by police.Mayor of Nanterre calls for solutions to break ‘cycle of violence’
The mayor of Nanterre has expressed his sorrow for the death of Nahel M and the riots that ensued, during a meeting with Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.
“The emotions and the anger felt after Nahel’s death are always alive and shared by the whole population,” Patrick Jarry said, according to French newspaper Le Figaro. “We must continue to support this family, this mum who is going to bury her son tomorrow.”
“At the same time, I have come to relay the sadness and desolation of the residents for the violence and degradation,” he added. “There is an urgency to find the words to exit this cycle of violence.”
Click here to share on social media
2h ago (11:32 GMT)
Marseille bans protests on Friday after latest riots
Local authorities in Marseille, France’s second largest city, have announced a ban on public demonstrations on Friday after last night’s riots.
All public transport in Marseille will also stop as from 7pm (17:00 GMT).
Violence also broke out in Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, Lille and the Paris suburbs for a third consecutive night.
A number of suburbs and towns in the Parisian region imposed a curfew as the country braced for more violence.French police arrested 875 in third night of rioting: Ministry
French police arrested 875 people during overnight rioting, around half of them in the Paris region, the interior ministry has said, updating a previous figure.
A total of 492 buildings were damaged, 2,000 vehicles were burned and 3,880 fires were started, according to figures given by President Emmanuel Macron at the start of a crisis meeting.Social issues, police deployment rules behind wave of violence in France: NGO
Khaled Sid Mohamed of the Committee for Justice and Liberties says the violence that has followed the killing of Nahel M was the result of a progressive withdrawal of state authorities from the suburbs, where deep social issues, including poor schooling and drugs, have been proliferating.
“It is no surprise that the only means of expression left for these people is violence,” he told Al Jazeera.
Additionally, Sid Mohamed said more than a dozen shootings last year had not been documented on police body cameras because they had not been turned on as they should have.Germany expresses concern over France riots
Germany has expressed concern over riots in France, following widespread violence and mass arrests.
“Of course we view what is happening in France at the moment with some concern,” government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said, adding that there was no indication yet that President Emmanuel Macron would cancel a state visit to Germany.
Macron is scheduled to visit Germany between Sunday and Tuesday and is due to meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz as well as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Hebestreit said the French government had “clearly condemned” the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel, and that the French president and his government were “very actively” trying to deal with the situation.Fireworks restricted after protesters use them against police
Several French regions have announced restrictions on fireworks after they were used in nightly clashes with local police.
The regional administration of Pas-de-Calais announced that the “possession and use of fireworks is banned on public streets by non-professionals” until July 3.
The prefect of Loire banned in multiple municipalities “the sale, transport and possession on public spaces of all acids, fuels in portable containers, agricultural or artisanal explosives, explosive substances and fireworks”.
