On the fourth consecutive night of disturbance in France, many firearms were reportedly taken from a weapons store.
According to French media, protesters ransacked a gun store close to the Old Port district on Friday in Marseille, which had some of the worst violence. In order to put an end to the disturbance brought on by the murder of a young man in a police shooting, 45,000 police, armored vehicles, and helicopters have been sent to Paris.
BFM TV said that before the police could step in and station a guard outside, many “hunting weapons” were taken from the store on Rue d’Aubagne in Marseille. With a stolen shotgun, one person was captured. According to accounts from a police source, the looters left with no ammo.
Police in the city in southern France used tear gas to disperse bands of masked youngsters who were breaking into stores and torching cars, leading to at least 87 arrests. The LGBTQ event that was scheduled for Saturday was also postponed by Pride Marseille due to the disturbances.
In order to combat the violence and looting, Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan has requested that more police units be sent to the area.
Social media videos purport to show assaults on Ales, Lyon, and Bonneuil police precincts, although none have been formally confirmed by the government.
After a police officer fatally shot Nahel M., 17, during a traffic stop on Tuesday night in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, rioting broke out. Local authorities swiftly detained and accused the officer who fired the shot of homicide while Nahel’s mother cried out for “vengeance.” But that did not stop the protests from turning violenter and violenter.
Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, announced on Friday night that 917 people had been taken into custody thus far. Their median age is 17, according to Darmanin. “One-third of them are underage, starting as young as 13.” He attributed the ongoing violence to the absence of parental oversight.
Friday morning’s visit to Brussels by President Emmanuel Macron was cut short so that the cabinet could meet in an emergency.
Star striker Kylian Mbappe posted a statement on social media from the French national football team asking the rioters to stop. The statement claimed the squad “cannot remain indifferent to the circumstances in which this unacceptable death took place” and that it recognizes the protest’s core message but “cannot endorse the form.”
Two French police unions have called for a crackdown on the “wild horde” upsetting the peace and warned the administration that while they are now “fighting a war” on its behalf, if those who want to appease the rioters knife them in the back, they would turn against Paris.
Over 45,000 police and gendarmes have been deployed by Darmanin ahead of the weekend, supported by drones, helicopters, and armored vehicles.
