France riots - live: Mayor claims protesters ‘try to assassinate his family’ in fifth night of violence

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 wrote on social media: “Last night, a milestone was reached in horror and ignominy. My home was attacked and my family was the victim of an assassination attempt.”

Riots continued to rage in France overnight, as 45,000 police were deployed and 719 people were arrested across the country by early Sunday in the fifth consecutive night of violence.

On Saturday, emotional mourners paid tribute at the funeral of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, where the teenager was killed during a police traffic stop.

French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a state visit to Germany, which was due to begin on Sunday, because of the ongoing violence.

Key Points

• France endures fifth night of violence

• Mourners gather outside mosque for funeral of ‘kind, smiley’ Nahel

• French President postpones state visit to Germany because of unrest in France

• UK issues France travel warning after looting across city

• Teen’s mother speaks out for the first time since shooting

• UN says shooting a chance to address racism in police

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?

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

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?

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

22:00 , Martha Mchardy

Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night

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

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

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

19:00 , Martha Mchardy

Watch: Heavy riot police presence on Champs-Elysees in security clampdown after unrest

18:00 , Martha Mchardy

Rioters ram-raid home of French mayor as wife injured

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

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?

15:40 , Tara Cobham

Where are the French riots and why are they happening?

President Macron due to review situation with ministers Sunday evening

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

14:30 , Tara Cobham

Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night

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

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

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

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

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'

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

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

09:30 , Tara Cobham

France endures fifth night of violence

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

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'

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

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?

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

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

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

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

Mourners bury slain teen in France as 45,000 police are deployed and 5th night of unrest is quieter

04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Hushed and visibly anguished, hundreds of mourners from France’s Islamic community formed a solemn procession from a mosque to a hillside cemetery on Saturday to bury a 17-year-old whose killing by police has triggered days of rioting and looting across the nation.

Underscoring the gravity of the crisis, President Emmanuel Macron scrapped an official trip to Germany after nights of unrest across France.

The government deployed 45,000 police to city streets across the nation to head off a fifth night of violence. Overnight, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted that the night had been calmer than previous ones, thanks to “the resolute action of security forces.”

He put the night’s arrest toll at 427.

Some 2,800 people have been arrested overall since the teen’s death on Tuesday. Darmanin tweeted late Saturday that 200 riot police had been mobilized in the port city of Marseille, where TV showed footage of police using tear gas as night fell.

Near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, hundreds of police with batons and shields stood restlessly along the Champs-Elysées, several in front of the shuttered Cartier boutique. Posts on social media had called for protests on the grand boulevard but the police presence appeared to discourage any large gatherings.

Earlier in the day at a hilltop cemetery in Nanterre, the Paris suburb where the teen identified only as Nahel was killed, hundreds stood along the road to pay tribute as mourners carried his white casket from a mosque to the burial site.

Journalists were barred from the ceremony and in some cases even chased away. Some of the men carried folded prayer rugs.

“Men first,” an official told dozens of women waiting to enter the cemetery. But Nahel’s mother, dressed in white, walked inside to applause and headed toward the grave.

Many of the men were young and Arab or Black, coming to mourn a boy who could have been them.

- AP

Hundreds arrested on fifth night of unrest in France

04:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Hundreds were arrested on the fifth night of unrest in France after the teen was laid to rest yesterday.

Local reports citing the interior minister said that a total of 427 people have been arrested today.

Le Monde reported that violence sparked by the fatal police shooting of a teenager appeared to be declining.

Outrage and agony at funeral of boy whose ‘execution’ set France alight

03:42 , Maroosha Muzaffar

As Nahel’s coffin was lowered into the ground, his mother bravely declared: ‘It is finished.’ But Bel Trew is told the country’s reckoning with racism and nights of rioting are only just beginning.

Read here:

Outrage and agony at funeral of boy whose ‘execution’ set France alight

Heavy police presence in Paris

03:00 , Matt Drake

Around 7,000 extra officers were deployed to the French capital.

Pictures show officers heavily armed in riot gear.

Police special forces deployed

02:00 , Matt Drake

In the northern city of Lille, police special forces have been seen taking to the street in anticipation of any further rioting.

The elite Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion (RAID) were pictured manning checkpoints around the city, the BBC reported.

Average age of those arrested just 17-years-old

01:00 , Matt Drake

The figure was announced by French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin.

It comes after it was revealed by authorities that 30 per cent of those arrested are minors, with 12-13-year-old arsonists reported to have been caught by police.

Looting of businesses by 'gangs of young people'

Sunday 2 July 2023 00:38 , Holly Bancroft

The mayor of Nice said the city centre was looted by a "gang of young people", BFMTV reported.

According to Christian Estrosi, the individuals were "quickly arrested".

Hundreds of arrests across France

Saturday 1 July 2023 23:49 , Matt Drake

The French Ministry of the Interior has confirmed 55 arrests in Marseille and 80 arrests in Paris.

There have been confirmed instances of looting by gangs of young people, according to French news reports.

Dozens of arrests in connection to nationwide riots - reports

Saturday 1 July 2023 23:10 , Holly Bancroft

121 people have been arrested across France on Saturday evening, according to police sources who have spoke to French broadcaster BFMTV.

56 of these arrests took place in Paris, they reported.

Officials have told local media that 21 people have also been arrested in the city of Lyon. Some were arrested for “carrying mortars, carrying prohibited weapons, and violence against a person holding authority and theft”. according to reports.

Clashes in Marseille during Saturday evening

Saturday 1 July 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

Video circulating online shows police using tear gas against people in the city early Saturday evening.

According to French reports, 38 people have been arrested so far.

Outrage and agony at funeral of boy whose ‘execution’ set France alight

Saturday 1 July 2023 22:41 , Bel Trew

The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew reports from Nahel Marzouk’s funeral in Nanterre:

“The number of mourners was so large, crowds spilled out of the Parisian mosque and stopped traffic as they prayed in the middle of the street.

The killing of 17-year-old Nahel Marzouk by the police has been labelled an “execution” and has ignited the fury of the nation, sparking a level of unrest not seen in France for over a decade.

At least 2,400 people have been arrested across the country, curfews imposed and public transport curtailed as open street battles raged between protesters and police, and looting became rampant.

In response, President Emmanuel Macron deployed 45,000 officers, including elite anti-terrorism units and armoured vehicles which scour the streets.

But on Saturday, at Nahel’s funeral at a mosque in Nanterre, the west Paris suburb where he lived and was fatally shot, the most glaring absence was the security forces.”

Read more here:

Outrage and agony at funeral of boy whose ‘execution’ set France alight

Police carrying out weapons checks in Paris

Saturday 1 July 2023 22:08 , Holly Bancroft

Police are carrying out searches in Paris in anticipation of further violence this evening.

37 arrests have been made for carrying a weapon, according to a statement from the Paris police headquarters.

38 people arrested in Marseille

Saturday 1 July 2023 22:07 , Matt Drake

The number of people arrested in Marseille has risen to 38, according to BFMTV.

They include thee people who were caught red-handed in a tobacco shop in Cours Julien district.

Tensions rising in Marseille

Saturday 1 July 2023 21:21 , Holly Bancroft

Tensions are rising in Marseille with groups of protesters clashing with police. Sixteen people have been arrested so far, according to local media reports, but the violence is not widespread.

Some people tried to loot a “cash converters” store on the Grand Littoral and others tried to break into the Canebiere fire station. The groups were dispersed by the heavy police presence, according to reports.

Clashes between protesters and police in Marseille

Saturday 1 July 2023 21:05 , Holly Bancroft

Protesters have been photographed running from launched tear gas canisters during clashes with police in Marseille, southern France on Saturday, as rioting continued in France over the killing of a teenager by police.

France is braced for its fifth night of rioting tonight as police reinforcements are sent out to Marseille and Lyon

Saturday 1 July 2023 20:40 , Holly Bancroft

France faced its fifth night of rioting on Saturday night, with police reinforcements sent into cities in a bid to control the unrest that has torn through the country since a 17-year-old was shot dead by police in Paris.

Emmanuel Macron announced that he was cancelling his planned state visit to Germany after more than 1,300 arrests were made on Friday night in cities including the capital, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse - almost a third of them under the age of 18.

More than 200 police officers were injured, according to interior minister Gerald Darmanin.

In Nanterre, thousands came out for the funeral of Nahel Merzouk who died in the Paris suburb on Tuesday night.

Read the full story here:

France riots: Cities brace for fifth night of violence despite police reinforcements

Pictured: Onlookers wait next to the cemetery where Nahel Merzouk is laid to rest

Saturday 1 July 2023 18:02 , Holly Bancroft

People wait next to the entrance of Mont Valerien cemetery, where Nahel Merzouk has been laid to rest, in Nanterre, near Paris, France.

The 17-year-old was buried in cemetery, after an Islamic funeral near his home in Nanterre. Violence has broken out all over France after police fatally shot Nahel during a traffic stop in Nanterre on 27 June 2023.

Foued, 44, came to the funeral to pay tribute to Nahel. He told Le Parisien: “As soon as I saw the video, it shook me to the guts. We say to ourselves: ‘But why?’, and we have no answer.”

Recap: The clashes between authorities and protestors so far

Saturday 1 July 2023 17:00 , Tara Cobham

The interior ministry said 1,311 people had been arrested overnight, compared with 875 the previous night, although the violence was "lower in intensity".

The government deployed 45,000 police and several armoured vehicles overnight to tackle the continuing violence.

Looters have ransacked dozens of shops and torched 2,000 vehicles since the start of the riots, which have spread to cities such as Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille.

More than 200 police officers have been injured, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said, adding that the average age of those arrested was 17.

Friday night's arrests included 80 people in Marseille, home to many people of North African descent.

Social media images showed an explosion rocking the old port area of the southern city, but no casualties were reported.

Rioters in France's second-largest city had looted a gun store and stole hunting rifles, but no ammunition, police said.

Mayor Benoit Payan called on the government to send extra troops to tackle "pillaging and violence" in Marseille, where three police officers were slightly wounded on Saturday.

In Lyon, France's third-largest city, police deployed armoured personnel carriers and a helicopter, while in Paris, they cleared protesters from the Place de la Concorde. Lyon Mayor Gregory Doucet has also called for reinforcements.

Darmanin had asked local authorities to halt buses and trams, while Macron urged parents to keep children at home.

The unrest has revived memories of nationwide riots in 2005 that 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.

"Quite simply, we're not ruling out any hypothesis and we'll see after tonight what the President of the Republic chooses," Darmanin said on Friday when asked whether the government could declare a state of emergency.

Players from the national soccer team issued a rare statement calling for calm. "Violence must stop to leave way for mourning, dialogue and reconstruction," they said on star Kylian Mbappe's Instagram account.

Events including two concerts at the Stade de France on the outskirts of Paris were cancelled, while Tour de France organisers said they were ready to adapt to any situation when the cycle race enters the country on Monday from Spain.

Watch: Police clashing with rioters as unrest continued for fourth night

Saturday 1 July 2023 16:40 , Tara Cobham

Shooting of teenager has reignited tensions with police

Saturday 1 July 2023 16:20 , Tara Cobham

The shooting of the teenager, caught on video, has reignited longstanding complaints by poor and racially mixed urban communities of police violence and racism.

Macron had denied there is systemic racism in French law enforcement agencies.

"If you have the wrong skin colour, the police are much more dangerous to you," said a young man, who was attending Nahel’s funeral and declined to be named, adding that he was a friend of the 17-year-old’s.

Another mourner, Marie, 60, said she had lived in Nanterre for 50 years and there had always been problems with the police.

“This absolutely needs to stop. The government is completely disconnected from our reality,” she said.

Mother of 17-year-old shot in police stop says he is ‘in heaven'

Saturday 1 July 2023 15:49 , Holly Bancroft

The mother of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk has told a crowd of women at her son’s funeral that he is now “in heaven”.

She told them: “It’s finished. Now he is in heaven”, Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew reports from the scene.

Friends and family have been attending the funeral of young Nahel in the north-west Paris suburb of Nanterre, where he was killed last Tuesday.

The 17-year-old’s funeral included mourners viewing his open coffin before it was taken to a mosque and then on to a cemetery.

Body of teenager now being buried in cemetery

Saturday 1 July 2023 14:50 , Tara Cobham

The body of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk is now being buried in the Mont-Valérien cemetery in the north-western Parisian suburb of Nanterre.

The men have gone into the cemetery to the burial site, while women remain outside on the road.

French President postpones state visit to Germany because of unrest in France

Saturday 1 July 2023 14:20 , Tara Cobham

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a state visit to Germany because of the unrest in France, both countries have said.

The government deployed 45,000 police and several armoured vehicles overnight to tackle the worst crisis of Macron's leadership since the "Yellow Vest" protests, which brought much of France to a standstill in late 2018.

The French President’s state visit to Germany had been due to begin on Sunday but was postponed on Saturday afternoon.

Emotional mourners follow Nahel’s body to cemetry

Saturday 1 July 2023 14:14 , Bel Trew in Nanterre, Paris

Emotional mourners are following the body of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk to the Mont-Valérien cemetery in Nanterre, where he will be laid to rest.

Hundreds left the Ibn Badis Mosque - where a funeral ceremony was held for the teenager - crying and chanting, “There is no deity except God [“la illaha illa allah” in Arabic].”

Crowds of people are now marching to the cemetery in front of the coffin, which is being driven in a car.

During the funeral prayers earlier, the lines of mourners were praying in the middle of the street.

Watch live: View of Nanterre as funeral held for teenager shot dead by French police

Saturday 1 July 2023 13:25 , Tara Cobham

Watch a live 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 will be laid to rest after an Islamic ceremony close to his home in the north-western Paris suburb.

Holly Patrick reports:

Watch live: View of Nanterre as funeral held for teenager shot dead by French police

Mourners gather outside mosque for funeral of ‘kind, smiley’ Nahel

Saturday 1 July 2023 13:21 , Bel Trew in Nanterre, Paris

Queues of mourners, family members and friends are lining up outside of the Ibn Badis Mosque and institute in Nanterre where the funeral of Nahel is due to start soon. The overflow lined up for afternoon prayers on the street in front. A glaring absence in the area is the police.

The local community and the mosque set up barricades with their own volunteers as stand-in security. No riot police officers are to be seen, clearly an attempt to calm tensions around this difficult moment after days of violence.

Outside the mosque, Therese, 60 a friend of the family who lives next door to Nahel’s grandmother, says the community is in complete shock.

“Nahel, was kind and smiley - he helped me with my groceries. When he was younger I would give I’m pocket money,” she tells The Independent visibly upset.

“I’m shaken, we all are - especially as a mother with children living in this neighbourhood, we’re scared and extremely sad.

"He was so young he has his whole life in front of him- that is all gone.”

She said the way the authorities had originally portrayed Nahel as a “troublemaker” was disturbing and another example of how the youth in the more impoverished parts of Nanterre are treated.

“Every teenager does something a little rebellious we have all been 17. He has never done drugs, he wasn’t bad.”

“The police regularly verbally brutalise the young here,” she continues.

“Thank god there is a video, the police are lying all the time. This might make change.

“We have an expression - 100 years for the thief, one day for the master. This really embodies the situation here.”

Members of the Algerian French community said Nahel’s killing was the “final drop of water that caused the vase to overflow”.

“There is no equality if you’re not white,” said Hadhrami belhaschemi, 35 outside the mosque. “This is just one example of a problem with the whole system. I feel like I’m only French on paper.”

Sketch of Nehal shared

Saturday 1 July 2023 13:18 , Tara Cobham

A sketch of Nehal showing the 17-year-old drawn in black and white with the words “Justice for Nahel” written in blue letters across his chest has been shared with The Independent by his family’s lawyers.

The teenager was shot dead by a police officer in Nanterre last Tuesday, sparking four consecutive nights of violent riots across France between protestors and police.

More than 200 police officers injured in clashes

Saturday 1 July 2023 12:46 , Sam Rkaina

Buildings and vehicles have been torched and stores looted in the unrest, which has spread nationwide, including to cities such as Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille.

More than 200 police officers have been injured, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said, adding that the average age of those arrested was 17. Looters have ransacked dozens of shops and torched some 2,000 vehicles since the riots started.

Friday night’s arrests included 80 people in Marseille, which is home to many people of North African descent.

Social media images showed an explosion rocking the old port area of the southern city, but authorities said they did not believe there were any casualties.

Rioters in France’s second-largest city had looted a gun store and stole hunting rifles, but no ammunition, police said.

Mayor Benoit Payan called on the government to send extra troops to tackle “pillaging and violence” in Marseille, where three police officers were slightly wounded early on Saturday.

In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, police deployed armoured personnel carriers and a helicopter, while in Paris, they cleared protesters from the Place de la Concorde.

Darmanin had asked local authorities to halt buses and trams, while Macron urged parents to keep children at home.

Watch live: View of Nanterre as funeral held for teenager shot dead by French police

Saturday 1 July 2023 12:11 , Sam Rkaina

You can watch a live view of Nanterre, a Paris suburb, on Saturday 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 will be laid to rest after an Islamic ceremony close to his home in the north-western Paris suburb,

Click here for the live stream.

Watch: Police clash with rioters as unrest continues for fourth night

Saturday 1 July 2023 12:00 , Tara Cobham

Family and friends viewing coffin of teenager shot dead by police

Saturday 1 July 2023 11:42 , Tara Cobham

Family and friends are viewing the open coffin of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk before it will be taken to a mosque for a ceremony and later burial in a town cemetery.

The Islamic ceremony will be held at 2pm (1pm UK time) at the Grande Mosquée Ibn Badis close to the teenager’s home in the Parisian suburb Nanterre.

Overnight arrests now number 1,311

Saturday 1 July 2023 10:41 , Tara Cobham

France's Interior Ministry said in an update on Saturday that 1,311 people were arrested around the country during a fourth night of riots triggered by the deadly shooting of a 17-year-old by police.

The government deployed 45,000 police around the country to try to quell violence. Overnight young protesters clashed with police, set some 2,500 fires and ransacked stores.

The funeral ceremony for Nahel, who was killed by police in the suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday, began Saturday with a visitation, to be followed by a mosque ceremony and burial in a cemetery there.

Watch: Rioters attack Strasbourg Apple store over Paris police shooting

Saturday 1 July 2023 10:18 , Tara Cobham

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.

Graffiti in Nanterre illustrates anger that erupted after teenager’s killing

Saturday 1 July 2023 10:04 , Bel Trew in Nanterre, Paris

Graffiti in Nanterre, the suburb of Paris where Nahel was shot dead by a police officer, illustrates the anger that erupted there after the 17-year-old’s killing and quickly spread nationwide.

The fatal shooting of the teenager stirred up long-simmering tensions between police and young people in housing projects who struggle with poverty, unemployment and racial discrimination.

“Country of human rights” has been crossed out and replaced with “country of police immunity” on one wall in the area, while another piece of graffiti reads: “The life of the youth on the suburbs matters.”

Rioting rages across France for fourth night ahead of Nahel’s funeral

Saturday 1 July 2023 09:50 , Tara Cobham

Rioting raged across France for a fourth night as family and friends prepare to bury the 17-year-old whose killing by police sparked the unrest.

Despite a massive deployment of 45,000 police officers to the country’s streets, cars and buildings were set ablaze and stores were looted, while the interior ministry announced 994 arrests around the country by early Saturday.

Nahel Merzouk, 17, will be laid to rest following an Islamic ceremony close to his home in the north-western Paris suburb of Nanterre, where he was shot in the chest as he sat at the wheel of a stationary Mercedes last Tuesday.

Read more:

Rioting across France for fourth night as family prepare for funeral of shot teenager

Overnight clashes in cities across France

Saturday 1 July 2023 09:30 , Bel Trew In Nanterre, Paris

Overnight there were clashes between protesters and police in Marseille, Lyon and Grenoble, where security forces said shops have also been looted.

In Lyon, the French authorities deployed members of RAID - an elite tactical unit of the police.

French media reported that two police officers had been assaulted In Marseille, and in total 95 people had been arrested.

Violence also rocked Paris. Videos taken in the 18th arrondissement, a central area of Paris, and shown to The Independent showed groups of young people burning tyres and firing fireworks at security forces in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Nearly 1,000 arrested as police ‘at war’ while family prepare for funeral

Saturday 1 July 2023 08:32 , Tara Cobham

Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested across France overnight as police have claimed they are “at war” while the family of a teenager shot dead by an officer prepared for his funeral on Saturday.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Saturday morning that 994 people had been arrested in the fourth consecutive night of nationwide clashes while 79 were injured.

The violence was sparked by the killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who will on Saturday be laid to rest following an Islamic ceremony close to his home in the north-western Paris suburb of Nanterre.

It was there that he was shot in the chest as he sat at the wheel of a stationary Mercedes last Tuesday.

The officer responsible - identified as Florian M., 38 - remains on remand having been charged with murder.

An extra 45,000 police have been deployed across the country, including multiple armed paramilitary units.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Saturday: “It's France that is going to win, not the rioters.”

In turn, police claimed in a leaked intelligence report that they are “at wore with savage hordes of vermin” intent on attacking them and destroying as much property as possible.

The UK Foreign Office has warned British tourists about the dangers of travelling in France.

In pictures: Another night of clashes between protesters and police

Saturday 1 July 2023 08:11 , Tara Cobham

Thousands more police on streets on Saturday

Saturday 1 July 2023 07:33 , Tara Cobham

France deployed 45,000 police officers and some armoured vehicles on the streets on Saturday as riots rocked French cities for a fourth night over a teenager's fatal shooting by an officer during a traffic stop.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin ordered a nationwide night-time shutdown of all public buses and trams in response to the riots and added 5,000 police to the streets, increasing the number to 45,000 overall.

ICYMI: Paris shooting: Where are the riots in France and why are they happening?

Saturday 1 July 2023 07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

President Emmanuel Macron has urged parents to keep teenagers at home. while his government is considering “all options” to restore order after rioters torched cars and buildings and looted shops across France in a third night of violence over the police killing of a teenager during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb.

There were more than 800 arrests across the country into Friday, with Mr Macron saying a significant proportion of them were you people. Police and firefighters struggled to contain protesters and extinguish numerous blazes through the night that damaged schools, police stations and town halls or other public buildings. There was also looting reported in a number of locations, including central Paris.

Read the full piece by Chris Stevenson here:

Where are the French riots and why are they happening?

Bus carrying Chinese tourists attacked in France

Saturday 1 July 2023 06:26 , Maroosha Muzaffar

China’s state-sponsored Global Times reported today that a bus carrying 41 Chinese tourists was attacked in Marseille, France as unrest continued overnight.

Global Times shared a video also on Twitter which showed a bus carrying Chinese tourists moving through the streets cautiously. The window of the bus was visibly cracked.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the riots were slightly calmer on Friday night throughout France.

Teen’s mother speaks out for the first time since shooting

Saturday 1 July 2023 05:22 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The mother of the teen who was shot at point blank by a police officer in a French suburb has spoken out for the first time.

Nahel M’s mother -- identified as just Mounia --- told France 5 television: “I don’t blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son.”

The 38-year-old officer, meanwhile, was detained and charged with voluntary manslaughter on Thursday. The mother claimed that he “saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life”.

‘Time for violence must end and be replaced by a time of mourning and reconstruction'

Saturday 1 July 2023 04:48 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The players of the French football team launched a “call for appeasement, awareness and responsibility” yesterday after days of unrest.

“The time for violence must end and be replaced by a time of mourning, dialogue and reconstruction,” urged Les Bleus in a statement posted on social media.

Les Bleus said they were “shocked by the brutal death of young Nahel” but asked that violence give way to “other peaceful and constructive ways of expressing oneself”.

Emmanuel Macron urges social media to take down ‘most sensitive types of content'

Saturday 1 July 2023 04:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

French president Emmanuel Macron has urged social media companies to take down “the most sensitive types of content” that had been posted on TikTok and Snapchat.

The president has asked them to supply authorities with the names of people using their services to organise violence, it was reported.

A spokesperson for Snapchat, meanwhile, said it had “zero tolerance” for content that promoted violence and hatred.

Macron accuses protesters of exploiting teenager’s death

Saturday 1 July 2023 04:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar

French president Emmanuel Macron has accused protesters of exploiting the death of a teenager shot by police at point-blank range.

According to local reports, the president stopped short of declaring a state of emergency but said that more officers would be deployed to contain the violence.

Mr Macron also urged parents to keep rioting children at home.

ICYMI: Paris shooting: Where are the riots in France and why are they happening?

Saturday 1 July 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

President Emmanuel Macron has urged parents to keep teenagers at home. while his government is considering “all options” to restore order after rioters torched cars and buildings and looted shops across France in a third night of violence over the police killing of a teenager during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb.

There were more than 800 arrests across the country into Friday, with Mr Macron saying a significant proportion of them were you people. Police and firefighters struggled to contain protesters and extinguish numerous blazes through the night that damaged schools, police stations and town halls or other public buildings. There was also looting reported in a number of locations, including central Paris.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Where are the French riots and why are they happening?

In pictures: Protesters hold placards in Bordeaux whilst officers stand guard in Lille

Friday 30 June 2023 23:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Paris has now seen three nights of unrest following the killing of a 17-year-old by police officers on 27 June.

The death of the teenager, known only as Nahel, was captured on video and has shocked France, stirring long-simmering tensions between young people and the police in disadvantaged neighbourhoods around the country.

Transport and businesses have been disrupted as a result of the clashes; on Friday (30 June), interior minister Gérald Darmanin asked regional prefects for all bus and tram services to stop from 9pm local time.

Recap: Who is Nahel M? The teen shot dead by police in France

Friday 30 June 2023 23:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where a teenager, identified as Nahel M, 17, was shot during a traffic check.

Nahel’s last name has not been released by authorities or his family. On Thursday, his mother called for a silent march in his honour in the square where the teenager was killed.

“I lost a child of 17-year-old, they took my baby,” the mother, who has not been named, said in a TikTok video.

Read more:

Who is Nahel M? The teen shot dead by police in France

Voices: France may be opening the door for the next Trump

Friday 30 June 2023 22:45 , Eleanor Noyce

In 1981, one of the first acts of François Mitterrand, the newly elected Socialist president of France, was to abolish the death penalty. The question France is asking today is: has it come back as state-sanctioned policy?

The video footage of a French police officer shooting a 17-year-old teenager dead at point-blank range through a car window has shocked all of France.

Deputies in the National Assembly held a minute’s silence. The young man’s mother called for a peaceful demonstration, but once again France erupted in anger with 150 arrests last night as police struggled to control the fury of the country’s north African community.

The video footage of a French policeman shooting a 17-year-old dead through a car window has shocked the whole country, writes Denis MacShane:

France may be opening the door for the next Trump | Denis MacShane

Britons warned to ‘avoid’ violence hotspots as riots and looting shake France

Friday 30 June 2023 22:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Britons have been warned against travelling to hotspots of violence in France as riots threatened to escalate out of control.

Newly-updated Foreign Office advice warns holidaymakers to “avoid areas where riots are taking place” as the situation becomes “unpredictable”.

A total shutdown of public bus and tram services was ordered nationwide on Friday night after shops were looted and several city centres were ablaze from protesters setting light to cars and buildings.

President Emmanuel Macron urged parents to keep teenagers at home, saying his government was considering “all options” to restore order.

Jane Dalton and Simon Calder report:

Britons warned to ‘avoid’ violence hotspots as riots shake France