Nighttime violence in French cities has halved in 24 hours, the interior ministry said on Tuesday, a week after riots sparked after police killed a teenager at a traffic stop.
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According to reports, 72 people were arrested overnight across the country, of which 24 were arrested in Paris and its surrounding areas, and 24 buildings were set on fire or damaged.
A total of 159 vehicles were on fire and 202 were in trash cans or elsewhere in public areas, a statement said.
Four police or gendarmerie offices were attacked, but no one was injured.
Police mobilization across France was at 45,000, unchanged from the previous two nights.
The government has been battling unrest and looting since 17-year-old Nahel M. was killed by a police officer at a traffic station outside Paris on Tuesday, reigniting long-running criticism of security forces. Allegations of systemic racism.
Mayors across France held rallies on Monday calling for an end to the violence.
The mayor’s residence in a Paris suburb was rammed by a burning car on Monday, sparking demonstrations calling for a “return to republican order”, sparking widespread outrage.
A total of 157 people were arrested between Sunday and Monday night – a significant drop from the previous night.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron met with the mayors of the 220 cities devastated by the unrest.
An official in the presidential office said Macron wanted to “start the hard, long-term work to understand the profound causes of these events”.
(AFP)