More than 700 arrests made as unrest, triggered by the police’s killing of 17-year-old Nahel M, continued across France.
Paris, July 2 (RHC)-- The French government said on Sunday that hundreds more had been arrested amid a fifth night of rioting sparked by the police killing of a 17-year-old, as police deployed reinforcements to flashpoint cities around the country.
Protesters, mostly minors, have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police in an outpouring of rage since an officer shot Nahel M point blank as he attempted to flee a traffic stop on Tuesday. The killing was captured on video, which spread on social media and fuelled the anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France.
One day after Nahel was laid to rest in his hometown near Paris, the interior ministry said police had made 719 arrests overnight, still a preliminary tally, after about 1,300 the previous night.
Some 45 police officers or gendarmes were injured, 577 vehicles torched, 74 buildings set on fire and 871 fires set in streets and other public spaces, according to reports.
