France riots – live: Protests spread to Switzerland and Belgium as teen’s aunt calls for ‘real change’
Protest over the death of a 17-year-old boy in France spread to neighbouring Switzerland and Belgium.
In the Swiss city of Lausanne, clashes erupted between the police and groups of protesters, mostly young men. Seven people, including teenagers, were detained after several shops were vandalised in Lausanne.
In the French-speaking western part of Switzerland, 100 people gathered on Saturday night where paving stones and at least one Molotov cocktail were thrown at officers, police said.
About a dozen people were detained in the Belgian capital, Brussels, and several fires were brought under control last week.
Meanwhile, the aunt of the slain teen, urged the “violence to stop” and her nephew’s death to trigger “real change” peacefully as parts of France witnessed a sixth night of unrest.
"The family is very much against the violence,” the aunt told The Independent. “But I hope that Nahel’s death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again,” she added.
Mourners paid tribute at the funeral of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, where he was killed during a police traffic stop.
Key Points
French mayor says home ram-raided in ‘assassination attempt on family'
Investigation for attempted murder after attack on mayor, confirms government
Police arrested 719 people nationwide by early Sunday
France endures fifth night of violence
Mourners gather outside mosque for funeral of ‘kind, smiley’ Nahel
Paris fireman dies in protest blaze
08:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A sixth consecutive night of rioting across France saw a young Paris fireman die as he tried to put out a blaze in an underground car park today.
The 24-year-old, who has not been named, was on Monday part of an emergency operation in the troubled northern suburb of Saint-Denis.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, said: “Overnight, while fighting against a blaze involving several vehicles in an underground car park in Saint-Denis, a young Corporal-Chief of the Paris Fire Brigade died despite very rapid treatment by his teammates.”
The ongoing violence saw 157 arrests between Sunday and Monday, said Mr Darmanin.
Macron due to meet leaders of parliament, town mayors
11:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The riots amount to the worst crisis for Macron since the “Yellow Vest” protests over fuel prices gripped much of France in late 2018.
In mid-April, Macron gave himself 100 days to bring reconciliation and unity to a divided country after rolling strikes and sometimes-violent protests over his raising of the retirement age, which he had promised in his election campaign.
Macron postponed a state visit to Germany to deal with the crisis and had to leave an EU summit early. He is due to meet the leaders of parliament on Monday and more than 220 mayors of towns and cities that have been affected by riots on Tuesday.
Vincent Jeanbrun, the mayor of the Paris suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses, whose home was attacked while his wife and children were asleep inside on Saturday, on Monday described the situation as “a real nightmare”.
“We have been going through a state of siege”, Jeanbrun, a member of the centre-right Les Republicains party, told BFM TV on Monday.
“I have myself grown up in L’Hay-les-Roses in these large housing blocks”, he said. “We were modest, we didn’t have much, but we wanted to overcome it, we had hope that we would make it with hard work.”
In Nanterre, in the west of Paris, flowers and other tributes mark the spot where Nahel was shot almost a week ago. Graffiti calls for revenge and criticises the police.
And while tensions were still high, some residents said the material damage to vehicle and businesses should stop.
Forty-nine-year-old Josie Oranger said people who worked hard or borrowed to buy themselves a car or set up a business were being disadvantaged.
“All it takes is one night of trouble, and they’ve lost everything. It’s not their fault, everything that happened.”
The police officer involved has acknowledged firing a lethal shot, the state prosecutor says, telling investigators he wanted to prevent a dangerous police chase. His lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard has said he did not intend to kill the teenager.
French rioting appears to slow 6 days after teen's death in Paris suburbs
10:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Unrest across France sparked by the police shooting of a 17-year-old appeared to slow overnight after six nights.
In all, according to the Interior Ministry, there were 157 arrests overnight, down from a peak of 3,880 arrests during the fiery night of June 30, and two law enforcement stations were attacked, among other damage.
Around 45,000 officers were deployed nationwide to counter violence fuelled by anger over discrimination against people who trace their roots to former French colonies and live in low-income neighborhoods. Nahel, the teenager killed last Tuesday, was of Algerian descent and was shot in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Across France, 297 vehicles were torched overnight along with 34 buildings.
French rioting appears to slow 6 days after teen's death in Paris suburbs
Mother of teenager fatally shot by French police shares last words she exchanged with son
09:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The mother of a 17-year-old who was fatally shot by a French police officer in a Paris suburb has shared the last words she exchanged with her son before he died.
Footage taken by activist Assa Traore shows the mother of the teenager, who has been named as Nahel, describing how she told her “baby” to “be careful” the morning of the day he was shot.
“They took away my baby, he was still a child, he needed his mother,” she said.
Mother of teenager fatally shot by French police shares her last words with son
French politicians respond to ongoing unrest
09:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A burning car struck the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb L’Hay-les-Roses over the weekend, an unusually personal attack amid the backdrop of fires and vandalism targeting police stations and town halls.
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed social media for the spread of the unrest and called on parents to take responsibility for their teenagers.
Justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told France Inter radio that parents who abdicate that responsibility “either through disinterest or deliberately” will be prosecuted.
Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children were injured and criticised the government for doing too little, too late - and said blaming social media or parents is papering over a bigger problem.
“The base ingredients are still there. For several years now, all summer long, explosives go off that keep people from sleeping, that make them crazy,” he told BFM television on Monday.
“We are powerless summer after summer.”
In pictures: Police guard Champs-Elysees on Sunday
09:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Pictures show heavy police presence on Champs-Elysees on Sunday after Saturday night’s heavy unrest which lead to over 700 arrests.
Overnight arrests slow down in sixth night of violence
08:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Unrest across France sparked by the police shooting of a 17-year-old appeared to slow overnight after six nights.
In all, according to the Interior Ministry, there were 157 arrests overnight, down from a peak of 3,880 arrests during the fiery night of June 30, and two law enforcement stations were attacked, among other damage.
Around 45,000 officers were deployed nationwide to counter violence fuelled by anger over discrimination against people who trace their roots to former French colonies and live in low-income neighborhoods. Nahel, the teenager killed last Tuesday, was of Algerian descent and was shot in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Across France, 297 vehicles were torched overnight along with 34 buildings.
A burning car stuck the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb L’Hay-les-Roses over the weekend, an unusually personal attack amid the backdrop of fires and vandalism targeting police stations and town halls.
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed social media for the spread of the unrest and called on parents to take responsibility for their teenagers. Eric Dupond-Moretti, the justice minister, told France Inter radio that parents who abdicated that responsibility “either through disinterest or deliberately” would be prosecuted.
Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children were injured and criticized the government for doing too little, too late — and said blaming social media or parents was papering over a bigger problem.
“The base ingredients are still there. For several years now, all summer long, explosives go off that keep people from sleeping, that make them crazy,” he told BFM television on Monday. “We are powerless summer after summer.”
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night
08:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Holidaymakers have been advised by a travel expert not to cancel their trips to France following five nights of unrest but to stay “flexible” and avoid big cities at night-time.
Rioting has spread across the country following the fatal shooting by police of 17-year-old boy Nahel in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday.
The UK Government updated its guidance for travellers to France to warn of “potential disruption” but it does not advise against travel to the country.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay encouraged people considering travelling to France to check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for updated advice.
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night
Where are the riots in France and why are they happening?
07:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The 17-year-old victim, Nahel Merzouk, was driving a car on Tuesday morning when he was pulled over for breaking traffic rules, prosecutors said. The teenager was too young to hold a full driving license in France.
Police initially reported that one officer had shot at the teenager because he was driving his car towards him. But this version of events was quickly contradicted by a video circulating on social media.
On Thursday, The Nanterre prosecutor said that witness statements, CCTV video footage, amateur video footage, and statements from police offers were being used to piece together the timeline of events from Tuesday morning.
Where are the French riots and why are they happening?
Macron’s delays historic state visit to Germany as unrest continues in France
07:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
President Emmanuel Macron chaired a special security meeting on Sunday as protests continued for a sixth night in France after the killing of a teenager in Paris.
Mr Macron delayed the start of the first state visit to Germany in 23 years as rioting and violence continued across the country.
An official present at the security meeting said Mr Macron plans to meet with the leaders of both houses of parliament on Monday, followed by discussions with mayors in the 220 towns and cities affected by the protests.
He also wants to start a detailed, longer-term assessment of the reasons that led to the unrest - which exposed deep-seated discontent in low-income neighbourhoods - the official told Associated Press.
According to the interior ministry, 78 arrests were made nationwide on Sunday - a sharp drop in the 719 in the previous 24 hours which took the total to more than 3,000 since the shooting of the 17-year-old, who has been identified only as Nahel, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
He was laid to rest in a Muslim ceremony on Saturday with his grandmother calling for an end to the violence.
The office of interior minister Gerald Darmanin said 45,000 police officers would again be deployed in the streets which saw a burning car hit the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses.
Skirmishes erupted in the Mediterranean city of Marseille on Sunday, but appeared less intense than the night before, according to the interior ministry.
And in the South American overseas territory of French Guiana, a 54-year-old died after being hit by a stray bullet.
Grandmother of French teen shot dead by police officer pleads with rioters to stop the violence
07:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The grandmother of the French teenager shot dead by police during a traffic stop pleaded Sunday for rioters to stop after five nights of unrest, while authorities expressed outrage at an attack on a suburban mayor’s home that injured family members.
The grandmother of 17-year-old Nahel, identified only as Nadia, said in a telephone interview with French news broadcaster BFM TV, “Don’t break windows, buses ... schools. We want to calm things down.”
She said she was angry at the officer who killed her grandson but not at the police in general and expressed faith in the justice system as France faces its worst social upheaval in years. Nahel, whose full name hasn’t been disclosed, was buried on Saturday.
The violence appeared to be lessening. Still, the office of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 45,000 police officers would again be deployed in the streets to counter anger over discrimination against people who trace their roots to former French colonies and live in low-income neighborhoods. Nahel is of Algerian descent and was shot in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
‘We didn’t ask to break or steal. All of this is not for Nahel’
07:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A relative of the 17-year-old French boy shot by police said the family did not want his death to spark riots.
“We never called for hate or riots,” the relative told BBC.
“We didn’t ask to break or steal. All of this is not for Nahel,” the relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
They said they had called for a “White March in the street. Walking in memory of Nahel. Walking, even being angry in the street, demonstrating, but without outbursts”.
‘No social cause justifies the use of violence’, says ex-president
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Former French president Francois Hollande, speaking about the ongoing riots, said no social cause justified “the use of violence”.
“It’s our social and republican model that needs to be deepened,” he told French broadcaster LCI.
The former president said it was very important to restore authority and order.
“The only valid principle is that of national unity. National unity to support young Nahel’s family, national unity for justice, and support for law enforcement and public authorities.”
French PM visits L’Hay-les-Roses
06:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Prime minister Elisabeth Borne and interior minister Gerald Darmanin visited the suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses yesterday, where the home of a Paris mayor was rammed and set alight while his family was sleeping inside.
“We’ll continue to bring order as quickly as possible,” Ms Borne said.
“No mayor will be left alone.”
Condemning the attack, she said: “The act of the kind we saw this morning here is particularly shocking. We will let no violence get by unpunished.”
Protests spread to Switzerland and Belgium
06:42 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Protests against the death of a 17-year-old boy in France have spread to the neighbouring countries of Switzerland and Belgium.
In the Swiss city of Lausanne, clashes broke out between police and groups of protesters, similar to the clashes in France.
Seven people, mostly teenagers, were detained after several shops were vandalised in Lausanne, The Telegraph reported.
Around 100 people gathered in the mainly French-speaking western part of Switzerland, where paving stones and at least one Molotov cocktail were thrown at officers, the police said.
About a dozen people were detained in the Belgian capital, Brussels, and several fires were brought under control last week
At least 45,000 police to be deployed after attack on mayor
06:21 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The office of interior minister Gerald Darmanin said 45,000 police officers would again be deployed in the streets which saw a burning car hit the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses.
Several police stations and town halls have been targeted by fires or vandalism in recent days, but such a personal attack on a mayor’s home is unusual.
Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children were injured in the 1:30 am attack while they slept and he was in the town hall monitoring the violence.
Mr Jeanbrun, of the conservative opposition Republicans party, said the attack represented a new stage of “horror and ignominy” in the unrest.
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Holidaymakers have been advised by a travel expert not to cancel their trips to France following five nights of unrest but to stay “flexible” and avoid big cities at night-time.
The UK government updated its guidance for travellers to France to warn of “potential disruption” but it does not advise against travel to the country.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay encouraged people considering travelling to France to check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for updated advice.
More here.
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night
Riot police patrol streets of Paris
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Aunt of teenager pleads for violence to stop
04:24 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The aunt of a French teenager shot dead by police last week has urged the “violence to stop” and her nephew’s death to trigger “real change” peacefully, in a heartfelt interview with The Independent.
Hatifa, who turned 47 on Saturday, the day of her nephew’s funeral, described Nahel Merzouk, 17, as a “loving teddy bear” who had big ambitions, liked to write rap lyrics, and was “dedicated” to his mother.
She said the family – who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin – had been overwhelmed by the national and global response to his killing last week by a police officer during a traffic stop in a west Parisian suburb.“I ask that the violence stop. I don’t want people to get hurt. The family is very much against the violence,” Hatifa, a mother-of-four herself, told The Independent.
Bel Trew reports.
Aunt of teenager whose death sparked riots across France pleads for violence to stop
Where are the riots in France and why are they happening?
04:08 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
France has endured a fifth night of violence following a day when emotional mourners gathered for the funeral of a teenager whose killing by police sparked nationwide unrest.
The clashes between police and protesters spread across the country throughout the week.
The national police have reported fires or skirmishes in multiple cities, from Toulouse in the south to Lille in the north, though the nexus of tensions was Nanterre and other Paris suburbs.
In the southern city of Marseille, France’s second-largest, authorities banned public demonstrations, and encouraged restaurants to close outdoor eating areas early.
They said all public transport would stop at 7pm.
Chris Stevenson has more.
Where are the French riots and why are they happening?
At least 78 people arrested on Sunday
04:04 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 78 people were reportedly arrested across France yesterday, significantly down from 719 arrests the day before.
More than 3,000 people have been detained overall following a mass security deployment.
Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured in the violence, although authorities haven’t said how many protesters have been hurt.
France’s justice minister has warned that young people who share calls for violence on Snapchat or other apps could face prosecution.
Macron to meet leaders of parliament today
03:52 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Emmanuel Macron held a special security meeting yesterday night and reportedly plans to meet today with the heads of both houses of parliament and on Tuesday with the mayors of 220 towns and cities affected by the protests.
Mr Macron also wants to start a detailed, longer-term assessment of the reasons that led to the unrest, an official told the Associated Press.
Highlighting the seriousness of the rioting, Macron has delayed what would have been the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 23 years, which had been scheduled to begin yesterday evening.
Family grateful for support but ‘very much against the violence’, says aunt
03:00 , Holly Evans
Speaking to-The Independent’s Bel Trew in Paris, Nahel’s aunt Hatifa said: “I ask that the violence stop. I don’t want people to get hurt. The family is very much against the violence.”
“We knew Nahel’s killing would have some impact but not this much. I think there are mass protests because so many mothers, like my sister, have had enough of being scared all the time.”
She said the family were “very grateful” for the global support, which had helped as they dealt with “deep grief”.
“But I hope that Nahel’s death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again,” she added. “At the end of the day, a grown-up shot a baby.”
‘All of this is not for Nahel,’ says relative
02:00 , Holly Evans
The family of the 17-year-old teenager have called for an end to the violence, but insisted the law around lethal force at traffic stops must change.
Speaking to the BBC, the relative, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We didn’t ask to break or steal. All of this is not for Nahel.”
They said they had called for a “White March in the street. Walking in memory of Nahel. Walking, even being angry in the street, demonstrating, but without outbursts”.
Macron asks ministers to ‘continue to do everything to restore order’
01:00 , Holly Evans
President Emmanuel Macron has finished meeting senior officials in Paris after asking ministers to “continue to do everything to restore order and guarantee a return to calm”.
Macron said he remained firmly alongside the security forces who were trying to restore calm to the streets but at the same time was looking in detail at the events that led to the death of 17-year-old Nahel.
The president is due to meet leaders of parliament on Monday, and more than 220 mayors of towns and cities that have been affected by the riots on Tuesday.
How did the riots begin?
Monday 3 July 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy
Nahel was of North African descent. The incident has fed longstanding complaints of police violence and systemic racism inside law enforcement agencies from rights groups and within the ethnically diverse suburbs that ring major cities in France.
Several people have died or sustained injuries at the hands of French police in recent years, prompting demands for more accountability. France also saw protests against racial profiling and other injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police in Minnesota.
Tuesday’s killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France so far in 2023. Last year there were a record 13 such shootings, a spokesperson for the national police said.
There were three such killings in 2021 and two in 2020, according to a Reuters tally, which shows the majority of victims since 2017 were Black or of Arab origin.
Clashes first erupted Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where Nahel was killed. Bins were set alight and some protesters threw fireworks at police. Officers used tear gas on the crowds. The government deployed 2,000 police to maintain order Wednesday. But violence resumed after dusk. Around 40,000 police were moblilised across France on Thursday.
Aunt of teenager whose death sparked riots across France pleads for violence to stop
Sunday 2 July 2023 23:32 , Holly Evans
The aunt of a French teenager shot dead by police last week, has urged the “violence to stop” and her nephew’s death to trigger “real change” peacefully, in a heartfelt interview with The Independent.
Hatifa, who turned 47 on Saturday the day of her nephew’s funeral, described Nahel Merzouk, 17, as a “loving… teddy bear” who had big ambitions, liked to write rap lyrics and was “dedicated” to his mother.
She said the family - who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin - had been overwhelmed by the national and global response to his killing last week by a police officer during a traffic stop in a west Parisian suburb.
Bel Trew has more.
Aunt of teenager whose death sparked riots across France pleads for violence to stop
Paris protests: What happened during the shooting?
Sunday 2 July 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy
The 17-year-old, identified as Nahel M, was driving a car on Tuesday morning when he was pulled over for breaking traffic rules, prosecutors said. The teenager was too young to hold a full driving license in France.
Police initially reported that one officer had shot at the teenager because he was driving his car towards him. But this version of events was quickly contradicted by a video circulating on social media.
On Thursday, The Nanterre prosecutor said that witness statements, CCTV video footage, amateur video footage, and statements from police offers were being used to piece together the timeline of events from Tuesday morning.
Pascal Prache confirmed that two motorcycle police noticed a Mercedes, with one young driver and two passengers travelling quickly in a bus lane at 7:55am on Tuesday.
Police twice attempted to indicate to the car to pull over and park, but the driver continued driving and the two police pursued the vehicle.
The Mercedes had to stop at a at a traffic light, at which point the police asked the driver to turn off engine and exit the vehicle.
The police officers said they drew their weapons and aimed them at the driver to stop him from taking off in the vehicle. However, the driver did pull away at which point the police decided to shoot.
A bullet hit the driver through arm and chest, and the car crashed. One of the passengers fled. Firefighters were called to the scene at 8:21am. They provided first aid to the driver which was unsuccessful.
The officer who fired a single shot said he wanted to prevent the car from leaving and because he feared someone may be hit by the car, including himself or his colleague, according to Mr Prache.
The police officer faces preliminary charges of voluntary homicide for shooting Nahel.
Based on an initial investigation, the prosector Mr Prache said, he concluded that “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met.”
Watch: Riot police deployed on Champs-Elysees after funeral of teenager shot by police
Sunday 2 July 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night
Sunday 2 July 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy
Holidaymakers have been advised by a travel expert not to cancel their trips to France following five nights of unrest but to stay “flexible” and avoid big cities at night-time.
Rioting has spread across the country following the fatal shooting by police of 17-year-old boy Nahel in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday.
The UK Government updated its guidance for travellers to France to warn of “potential disruption” but it does not advise against travel to the country.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay encouraged people considering travelling to France to check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for updated advice.
Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: “It’s something that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be monitoring very closely.
“They keep regular updates on their website.
“And what I would say to anyone concerned about it who is thinking of travelling to France, to keep an eye on the Foreign Office website, there will be regular updates there, and that will keep people informed.”
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night
France endures fifth night of violence after teenager’s funeral with street battles in Marseille
Sunday 2 July 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy
France has endured a fifth night of violence following a day when emotional mourners gathered for the funeral of a teenager whose killing by police sparked nationwide unrest.
Even though the rioting appeared to be less intense on Saturday, with tens of thousands of police deployed in cities across the country, more than 700 people were arrested. Police fired tear gas and fought street battles with protestors late into the night in flashpoint Marseilles.
Earlier in the day, 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk was laid to rest in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where he had been shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop on Tuesday, triggering days of fierce clashes.
Tara Cobham reports:
France endures fifth night of violence with street battles in Marseille
Grandmother of killed teenager urges end to riots
Sunday 2 July 2023 19:45 , Holly Hales
The grandmother of a 17-year-old boy whose shooting death triggered widespread riots in France has urged people not to join in the chaos.
Nahel Merzouk was allegedly killed by a police officer during a traffic stop on Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Responsive anger and unrest quickly spread from the capital’s suburbs to other parts of France including Marseille in the five days since.
Curfews have been enforced in some places and thousands of police deployed to the streets in a bid to stop the chaos which has included looting and bins being set on fire.
Nahel’s grandmother Nadia told TV channel BFM TV that he was a “good, kind boy” and wants the rioting to come to an end. “I want it to stop everywhere,” she said. “I tell the people who are rioting this: Do not smash windows, attack schools or buses. Stop! It’s the mums who are taking the bus, it’s the mums who walk outside.”
Nadia went on to detail just how the tragedy has undone her family. “It’s over, my daughter no longer has a life,” she said.
Watch: Fires burn on popular shopping avenue in Marseille as unrest continues after teenager's death
Sunday 2 July 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy
Watch: Heavy riot police presence on Champs-Elysees in security clampdown after unrest
Sunday 2 July 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy
Rioters ram-raid home of French mayor as wife injured
Sunday 2 July 2023 17:00 , Martha Mchardy
Rioters ram-raided the home of a Paris suburb mayor, set the car alight and launched fireworks at his wife and young children as they fled during a fifth night of nationwide unrest over Tuesday’s police shooting of a teen of North African descent.
Vincent Jeanbrun, 39, the centre-right mayor of the southern suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses, was at the town hall when his house was attacked with his wife Melanie and children asleep inside.
The aggressors drove their vehicle at the suburban house but were halted by a low wall ringing the property’s outdoor terrace, the local public prosecutor said. They then torched their vehicle.
As Jeanbrun’s wife and children, aged 5 and 7, took flight through the back yard, they were targeted with fireworks. Jeanbrun told Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne his wife had had surgery to a broken leg and faced a three-month rehabilitation.
“While attempting to shield them and fleeing the attackers, my wife and one of my children were hurt,” the mayor said.
The local prosecutor told reporters that an investigation into attempted murder had been opened. No suspects have been arrested.
Attack on mayor’s home is ‘unimaginable’, say shocked local residents
Sunday 2 July 2023 16:00 , Bel Trew in Paris
The street outside the mayor’s house in the upmarket southern suburb of Paris is closed off to the police, who declined to speak to the media and had stationed officers outside.
Local residents told The Independent the attack was “unimaginable”.
Overnight, a burning car hit the home of Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the Paris suburb of l’Hay-les-Roses, who said his wife and one of his children were injured in the attack while they were sleeping. The local prosecutor said an investigation into attempted murder had been opened.
“By chance we spoke to the mayor just yesterday and he said there was a problem in the neighbourhood but we never imagined this,” said Dominique, 61 who lives 100 metres away and is a neighbour.
“They came at 1am and set fire to a car and attacked the house with children inside - in all the 20 years we have lived here we have never experienced anything like it. It’s terrifying,” his wife Veronique, a pharmacist added.
Where are the riots in France and why are they happening?
Sunday 2 July 2023 15:40 , Tara Cobham
Where are the French riots and why are they happening?
President Macron due to review situation with ministers Sunday evening
Sunday 2 July 2023 15:00 , Tara Cobham
Emmanuel Macron is due to meet his ministers on Sunday evening to review the situation, the presidency said, after the prime minister said on Friday the government’s “crisis unit” had been activated until further notice.
This comes after the French President postponed a state visit to Germany, which was due to have begun on Sunday, to handle the worst crisis for his leadership since the "Yellow Vest" protests paralysed much of France in late 2018.
Watch: Heavy riot police presence on Champs-Elysees in security clampdown after unrest
Sunday 2 July 2023 14:30 , Tara Cobham
Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night
Sunday 2 July 2023 14:00 , Tara Cobham
Holidaymakers have been advised by a travel expert not to cancel their trips to France following five nights of unrest but to stay "flexible" and avoid big cities at night-time.
The UK Government updated its guidance for travellers to France to warn of "potential disruption" but it does not advise against travel to the country.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay encouraged people considering travelling to France to check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for updated advice.
Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: "It's something that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be monitoring very closely.”
Paul Charles, founder of travel consultancy The PC Agency, suggested people should not cancel their trips as they would not be covered by their travel insurance unless the FCDO advised against travel to France.
He said: "It's clearly a nerve-wracking time for those planning to go, it's vital to keep up to date with the latest news because it's such a fast-moving situation and UK travellers are going to have to be flexible in their planning.
"My advice would be to stay clear for the moment of big cities in the evenings, make sure you are not going to areas where there is likely to be large protests taking place and seek advice from the hotel you are staying in or from local websites which are being updated about the situation.
"The last thing you should do is cancel your trip because you would not be covered under travel insurance for that because you are still able to travel, flights and ferries are still going, you would suffer quite a financial loss.
"The travel advice would have to change from the Government to one of 'we advise against travel' and that is not what they are doing at the moment.
“I wouldn't say don't book a holiday to France, it remains a very attractive place to go but book to go somewhere that is more remote, quieter.”
The latest FCDO advice states: "Since June 27, riots have taken place across France. Many have turned violent. Shops, public buildings and parked cars have been targeted.
“There may be disruptions to road travel and local transport provision may be reduced. Some local authorities may impose curfews.
“Locations and timing of riots are unpredictable. You should monitor the media, avoid areas where riots are taking place, check the latest advice with operators when travelling and follow the advice of the authorities."
Windows smashed and seven people detained in Swiss city in ‘echo’ of violence in France
Sunday 2 July 2023 13:30 , Tara Cobham
Seven people were detained, most of them teenagers, after several shop windows in the Swiss city of Lausanne were smashed as young people gathered in an "echo" of riots in neighboring France, police said Sunday.
More than 100 people gathered in downtown Lausanne, in French-speaking western Switzerland, on Saturday evening, police said in a statement. It said that they were responding to several appeals on social media linked to several nights of violence that have shaken France after the police killing of a 17-year-old in a Paris suburb.
Several shop windows and a shop door were broken, while officers dispersed youths who threw paving stones and a Molotov cocktail at them, police said. They detained six people ages 15 to 17 — three girls and three boys, with Portuguese, Somali, Bosnian, Swiss, Georgian and Serbian citizenship — and a 24-year-old Swiss man.
No police officers were injured.
On Thursday, about a dozen people were detained in the Belgian capital, Brussels, and several fires were brought under control.
Extraordinary show of force on Paris’s most famous street overnight
Sunday 2 July 2023 13:06 , Bel Trew in Paris
It was an extraordinary show of force on Paris’s most famous street. Riot police in full Iron Man protective gear and helmets stood at the top of metro escalators to meet - and it seems warn - anyone coming to the Champs-Élysées. The message was clear, before you even stepped onto the iconic thoroughfare.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of riot police officers fanned across the rest of the road that bisects France’s simmering capital.
At least 25 motorcycles with two cops on each one roared up and down the street. Two dozen vans, packed with more officers sporadically raced around, ejecting forces at point where crowds were starting to gather.
Intermingled in this dance were confused tourists and restaurant goers.
Earlier in the day across French social media, the word had spread that protesters, furious at last week’s police shooting of a 17-year-old teenager in a west Parisian suburb, should head to the central thoroughfare.
After four nights of open street battles with the police, unrest, violence and looting, the interior ministers was taking no chances.
In preparation shops and cafes boarded up their windows.
What started as the killing of a teenager caught on mobile phone has morphed into a bitter battle between an angry street in France and its security forces. It has thrown a searing spotlight onto police tactics in France and the laws which regulate what officers can and cannot do.
President Emmanuel Macron has deployed some 45,000 troops across France, including elite forces trained for terrorism attacks. Critics say this heavy-handed response is only igniting tensions and there are now major calls for there to be serious reforms.
Investigation for attempted murder after attack on mayor, confirms government
Sunday 2 July 2023 11:38 , Tara Cobham
An investigation for attempted murder has been opened following an incident at the home of a Parisian suburb mayor, the French Minister of the Interior has confirmed.
Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the southern suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses, said his home was ram-raided and set alight while his wife and children were asleep inside in what he has called an “assassination attempt” on his family.
Offering his “total” support to Mr Jeanbrun, minster Gérald Darmanin described Mr Jeanbrun and his family as being “victim of a cowardly and terrible attack”.
He wrote on social media that “significant” police resources are mobilised, adding: “The perpetrators of these facts will answer for their heinous acts.”
Police arrested 719 people nationwide by early Sunday
Sunday 2 July 2023 11:00 , Tara Cobham
Police had made 719 arrests nationwide by early Sunday after a mass security deployment aimed at quelling France's worst social upheaval in years.
Skirmishes erupted in the Mediterranean city of Marseille but appeared less intense than the night before, according to the Interior Ministry. A beefed-up police contingent arrested 55 people there.
Nationwide arrests were somewhat lower than the night before, which Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin attributed to “the resolute action of security forces”.
Some 2,800 people have been detained overall since Nahel’s death on Tuesday.
French mayor says home ram-raided in ‘assassination attempt on family'
Sunday 2 July 2023 10:30 , Tara Cobham
A Paris suburb mayor said his home was ram-raided and set alight while his wife and children were asleep inside in what he has called an “assassination attempt” on his family amid the unrest that has gripped France following Tuesday’s shooting of a teenager by a police officer.
Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the southern suburb of L'Hay-les-Roses, said his wife and one of their two children, aged five and seven, were injured as they fled the building in the early hours.
The official said in a statement posted on his Twitter account on Sunday: “Last night, a milestone was reached in horror and ignominy. My home was attacked and my family was the victim of an assassination attempt.”
Jeanbrun, from the conservative Les Republicains party, was not at home but at the town hall during the incident. The town hall has been the target of attack for several nights since the shooting and has been protected with barbed wire and barricades.
"At 1.30am, as I was in the town hall just like the two previous nights, people ram-raided my home before starting a fire to torch my house, where my wife and my two young children were sleeping," he said.
"While attempting to shield them and fleeing the attackers, my wife and one of my children got hurt."
He added: “My determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than ever. I will not back down.”
The local prosecutor told reporters that an investigation into attempted murder had been opened. No suspects have been arrested.
The prosecutor said the woman was injured as she fled through the backyard of the house.
Burning car hit home of mayor of Paris suburb overnight
Sunday 2 July 2023 10:00 , Tara Cobham
A burning car hit the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb of l'Hay-les-Roses overnight.
Several schools, police stations, town halls and shops have been targeted by fires or vandalism in recent days but such a personal attack on a mayor's home is unusual.
Watch: Fires burn on popular shopping avenue in Marseille as unrest continues
Sunday 2 July 2023 09:30 , Tara Cobham
France endures fifth night of violence
Sunday 2 July 2023 09:06 , Tara Cobham
France has endured a fifth night of violence following a day when emotional mourners gathered for the funeral of a teenager whose killing by police sparked nationwide unrest.
Even though the rioting appeared to be less intense on Saturday, with tens of thousands of police deployed in cities across the country, more than 700 people were arrested. Police fired tear gas and fought street battles with protestors late into the night in flashpoint Marseilles.
Earlier in the day, 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk was laid to rest in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where he had been shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop on Tuesday, triggering days of fierce clashes.
Read more:
France endures fifth night of violence with street battles in Marseille
Watch: Riot police deployed on Champs-Elysees after funeral of teenager shot by police
Sunday 2 July 2023 08:36 , Tara Cobham
Riot police were deployed to the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on Saturday, 1 July, after a call on social media to gather there following the funeral of a teenager who was shot dead by an officer earlier this week during a traffic stop.
Nahel Merzouk, 17, was laid to rest yesterday following an Islamic ceremony close to his home in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Footage shows a heavy police presence on the popular shopping street lined with luxury fashion houses.
Shop facades were boarded up to prevent potential damage and police carried out spot checks in the area.
Holly Patrick reports:
Riot police deployed on Champs-Elysees after funeral of teenager shot by police
‘Nahel’s story is the lighter that ignited the gas'
Sunday 2 July 2023 07:25 , Tara Cobham
The reaction to the killing was a potent reminder of the persistent poverty, discrimination, unemployment and other lack of opportunity in neighborhoods around France where many residents trace their roots to former French colonies — like where Nahel grew up.
"Nahel's story is the lighter that ignited the gas. Hopeless young people were waiting for it. We lack housing and jobs, and when we have (jobs), our wages are too low," said Samba Seck, a 39-year-old transportation worker in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.
Clichy was the birthplace of weeks of riots in 2005 that shook France, prompted by the deaths of two teenagers electrocuted in a power substation while fleeing from police. One of the boys lived in the same housing project as Seck.
Like many Clichy residents, he lamented the violence targeting his town, where the remains of a burned car stood beneath his apartment building, and the town hall entrance was set alight in rioting this week.
"Young people break everything, but we are already poor, we have nothing," he said, adding that "young people are afraid to die at the hands of police."
China complains to France after Chinese tourists hurt in riots
Sunday 2 July 2023 07:02 , Maroosha Muzaffar
China’s Consulate General in Marseille complained to France after a bus carrying a Chinese tour group in the southern city had its windows smashed leading to minor injuries, China’s Consular Affairs Office said in a statement on Sunday.
The Consulate General’s formal complaint called for France to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and their property, the statement said.
The bus was attacked by rioters on Thursday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, during the violence which hit French cities in recent days since the police shooting of a teenager of North African descent. The Chinese tourists have since left France, the Consular Office statement said.
Chinese citizens in France or heading to France should “strengthen prevention” and be “more vigilant and cautious” in light of the riots which have swept across the country in recent days, the Consular office statement added.
Rioting across France appeared to be less intense on Saturday, as tens of thousands of police had been deployed in cities across the country after the funeral of the teenager, although there was some tension in central Paris and sporadic clashes in Nice, Strasbourg and Marseille.
-Reuters
Is it safe to travel to Paris right now?
Sunday 2 July 2023 07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in Nanterre, a town in the western suburbs of Paris, and nearby.
On Saturday, a funeral was held for the teen amid tensions as interior minister Gerald Darmanin claimed that the level of violence appeared to have declined compared to previous nights.
Is it safe to travel to Paris right now?
ICYMI: Rioters attack Strasbourg Apple store over Paris police shooting
Sunday 2 July 2023 06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Rioters attacked an Apple store in Strasbourg, France, on Friday (June 30) after a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan descent was shot by a police officer on Tuesday in the Nanterre suburb of Paris.
Video from La Presse Libre shows people throwing stones and breaking into the shop.
It comes as unrest has flared nationwide for four consecutive nights after the death of the teenager, who has been named as Nahel Merzouk, which was caught on video.
The officer responsible - identified as Florian M., 38 - is on remand after being charged with murder.
Rioters attack Strasbourg Apple store over Paris police shooting
Watch: View of Nanterre as funeral held for teenager shot dead by French police
Sunday 2 July 2023 06:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Watch a view of Nanterre, a Paris suburb, on Saturday (1 July) as the funeral is held for a teenager who was shot dead by a French police officer.
Nahel Merzouk, 17, died after he was shot in the chest as he sat at the wheel of a stationary Mercedes last Tuesday.
The teenager was laid to rest after an Islamic ceremony close to his home in the north-western Paris suburb,
Nahel’s death sparked widespread unrest for four consecutive nights, as cars and buildings were set ablaze and stores were looted.
Watch live: View of Nanterre as funeral held for teenager shot dead by French police
More than 700 shops, restaurants and bank branches looted and ransacked since Tuesday
Sunday 2 July 2023 05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Rioters have torched 2,000 vehicles since the start of the unrest. More than 200 police officers have been injured, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said yesterday, adding that the average age of those arrested was 17.
Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti said 30 per cent of detainees were under 18.
More than 700 shops, supermarkets, restaurants and bank branches had been “ransacked, looted and sometimes even burnt to the ground since Tuesday”, finance minister Bruno Le Maire said.
In Marseille, where 80 people had been arrested on Friday, police said they had detained 60 people.
“It’s very scary. We can hear a helicopter and are just not going out because it’s very worrying,” said Tatiana, 79, a pensioner who lives in the city centre.
In Lyon, France’s third largest city, police deployed armoured personnel carriers and a helicopter.
The unrest has revived memories of nationwide riots in 2005 that lasted three weeks and forced then-President Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency, after the death of two young men electrocuted in a power substation as they hid from police.
Players from the national soccer team issued a rare statement calling for calm. “Violence must stop to leave a way for mourning, dialogue and reconstruction,” they said on star Kylian Mbappe’s Instagram account.
- Reuters
