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A shop window in the center of Marseille, France, was vandalized with spray paint reading “Justice for Nahel” following a night of clashes on Sunday. The violence erupted across France after a 17-year-old teenager named Nahel Merzouk was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Nanterre. The photo of the incident was captured by Orianne Ciantar for EPA-EFE.
July 2 (UPI) — As riots continued for the fifth night in France, following the shooting death of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb, French police made over 700 arrests. The Interior Ministry reported that 45 police officers and gendarmes were injured in the ongoing unrest.
The Interior Ministry stated in a statement that 719 individuals were apprehended, and 45 police officers and gendarmes suffered injuries.
Authorities have deployed 45,000 police officers and gendarmes, along with thousands of firefighters, to maintain public order and safety in the country, as mentioned by the Interior Ministry.
The Prefecture Police of France, based in Paris, have authorized officers to use drones for recording rioters until 6 a.m. on Monday.
During the unrest, police conducted 375 searches on Champs-Élysées Avenue in Paris and made 37 arrests of individuals found in possession of weapons. The police shared images of these weapons, which included brass knuckles and potential incendiary devices.
According to The Guardian, on Saturday night, rioters set ablaze at least 577 vehicles and 74 buildings, starting a total of 871 fires in Paris alone.
In the southern French city of Marseilles and its surrounding region, local police reported 71 arrests on Sunday, many of whom were suspected of looting.
Despite the ongoing unrest, the Interior Ministry acknowledged that the actions of the police resulted in a relatively calmer night.
Nadia, the grandmother of Nahel Merzouk, urged the rioters to cease their destructive actions, stating that they were using her grandson’s death as an excuse for causing harm, in an interview with BFMTV.
In a severe incident, Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun of L’Haÿ-les-Roses reported that rioters deliberately crashed a burning car into his home, located about nine miles south of Paris around 1:30 a.m., injuring his wife and one of their two children, as per his statement.
France’s Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne condemned the attack on Jeanbrun’s family as “unacceptable” and assured that those responsible would face strong prosecution.
