06/30/2023 12:18 (act. 06/30/2023 12:18)
A state of emergency could be declared in France because of the third consecutive night of riots. ©APA/AFP/AP
Following the ongoing unrest in France after a police officer killed a 17-year-old, the French government has convened a crisis team. President Emmanuel Macron left the EU summit in Brussels early.
He wanted to attend a crisis meeting at 1 pm, he reported on Friday in the Elysée. The security measures taken so far must be verified “without taboo”.
Third night of riots: French government convenes a crisis team
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has not ruled out that a state of emergency could be declared to calm the situation in France. So far, however, Macron has ruled out declaring a state of emergency over the unrest. Several politicians asked for this in view of the unrest that lasted for three nights. Macron avoided any statement to journalists in Brussels. Borne spoke on Friday of “intolerable and inexcusable” riots.
Ministers in France met to take stock
She met with several ministers “to take stock of the night’s acts of violence and riots,” she wrote on Twitter on Friday. At 11:00 am, the cabinet was convened to discuss how to proceed, with a state visit to Germany starting on Sunday.
She met with several ministers “to take stock of the night’s acts of violence and riots,” she wrote on Twitter on Friday. At 11:00 am, the cabinet was convened to discuss how to proceed, with a state visit to Germany starting on Sunday.
Local public transport in the Paris metropolitan area affected
Transport Minister Clement Beaune told RMC radio that public transport in the greater Paris area was seriously affected on Friday. He did not rule out stopping traffic. Twelve buses were destroyed in a garage fire in Aubervilliers, north of Paris. A video shared on social media also showed a tram on fire in the city of Lyon in eastern France. There were also riots in Marseille, Pau, Toulouse and Lille.
Third consecutive night of riots in several French cities
After two straight nights of massive protests against police violence in several cities, around 40,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country on Friday night to quell the unrest. 5,000 of them in Paris. The capital also convened a crisis team. According to the Interior Ministry, 249 police and gendarmes were injured on Friday night. According to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, 667 people were arrested.
Protests also in the Belgian capital, Brussels
There were also protests in the Belgian capital Brussels on Thursday. According to their own statements, police arrested dozens of people on Thursday night, including many young people, after several fires were set and street barricades were erected. Those arrested were later released. According to Brussels police, two cars and several garbage cans were set on fire. The fires were quickly extinguished.
Young Nahel M. shot at traffic control
On Tuesday, young Nahel M. was shot in the driver’s seat of a car during a traffic stop in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. Video showed the officer pointing his gun at the driver and firing at close range as the car suddenly accelerated. During the control, the phrase was heard beforehand: “You’re going to take a bullet in the head”.
Riots bring back memories of riots in 2005
The riots bring back memories of the 2005 riots, when President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency. The trigger was the death of two young men who were electrocuted while fleeing the police.