French riot dampening; 6th night after teen’s killing by police in Paris suburb.
The wave of turmoil that swept through France in response to the tragic police shooting of a 17-year-old seemed to subside on its sixth night.
However, acts of arson and vandalism persisted, with public buildings, vehicles, and municipal trash cans bearing the brunt of the damage well into Monday.
The riots seemed to be fueled by a teenage revolt, as highlighted by the interior minister. The average age of those apprehended was 17, and disturbingly, children as young as 12 or 13 were detained for their involvement in assaulting law enforcement officers and starting fires.
In addition to the arrests, two law enforcement stations were targeted and subjected to attacks, resulting in various other instances of damage, as reported by the Interior Ministry.
Apart from a march held last week in remembrance of Nahel, the teenager who tragically lost his life last Tuesday, there have been few signs of organized protests.
However, many activists argue that the nocturnal riots represent an outpouring of frustration against a French state that numerous young individuals with immigrant backgrounds claim systematically discriminates against them.
Nahel, who hailed from Algerian heritage, was fatally shot in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre.
In response to the escalating violence driven by anger over discrimination faced by individuals with roots in former French colonies, particularly those residing in low-income neighborhoods, approximately 45,000 officers were deployed across the country.
During the course of the unrest, 297 vehicles were set ablaze, accompanied by the damaging of 34 structures, many of which were associated with the government. According to the Interior Ministry, a total of 99 city halls have fallen victim to attacks across France.
According to Paris police, a tragic incident occurred when a 24-year-old firefighter suffered a heart attack while attending to a fire in an underground garage that subsequently engulfed the apartment building above. The authorities stated that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.
Over the weekend, amidst the backdrop of fires and vandalism targeting police stations and town halls, a distressing event unfolded. A burning car deliberately struck the residence of the mayor in the Parisian suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses, representing an unusually personal and targeted attack.