As in the night between Friday and Saturday, when more than 1,300 arrests were made, Darmanin had deployed 45,000 policemen. As in the previous nights, riots broke out in many major cities. In most places, according to French media, it became quieter during the night.
Paris, Marseilles, Nice
Of the more than seven hundred arrests, 194 took place in and around Paris. Yesterday evening, a large group of protesters had gathered in the Champs-Élysées shopping street, where many shopkeepers had boarded up their windows as a precaution. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested and weapons were also confiscated.
In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, the atmosphere was “agitated” on Saturday night, according to police. Officers used tear gas during a clash with a group of protesters on the main road. Around midnight, authorities announced it was getting quieter in the southern French city. French news channel BFMTV reports that 65 arrests have taken place in Marseille.
A clash took place in Nice between the police and demonstrators who had started a large fire. The mayor of Nice confirmed late Saturday evening that the city center had been looted by “a gang of young people”. They were allegedly arrested based on video images.
Injured police officers
According to Darmanin, more than 200 police officers have been injured since the unrest began on Tuesday. In the night between Saturday and Sunday there were 45. According to him, 2,000 vehicles were set on fire during the riots. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said more than 700 businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants and bank branches had been “attacked, looted and sometimes burned down”.
On Saturday, 17-year-old Nahel was buried in Nanterre, France. The boy’s death sparked unrest in France. Nahel, of Algerian origin, was killed by a police officer on Tuesday during a traffic check.