The riots in France began after an Algerian-born teenager was shot dead by a police officer as he tried to walk away from a traffic check. This led to violent riots in several French cities over several days, mostly at night. The protesters, mostly young, accuse the police of racism.
It was restless again last night in many places in France. Even if the riots are less violent than the previous nights. Shortly before midnight, French police announced that they had arrested 49 people. That number is significantly lower than the previous evenings at around the same time. Already yesterday afternoon the grandmother of the teenager shot by gunfire had called for calm.
At around 02:15 on the night of Sunday to Monday, according to BFMTV, the number of detainees had risen further to 78. In Paris, among others, the necessary rioters were arrested at around 01:00. As in the previous two nights, some 45,000 police and gendarmes are on site to prevent the unrest, or at least to nip it in the bud as much as possible.
Yesterday evening, President Macron met, among others, with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti.
At Macron’s request, Prime Minister Borne will meet all the group leaders of the National Assembly today, BFMTV reports on Sunday evening.