There have been clashes between police and protesters in the city of Marseille after a young man was killed by police firing in France. Violent incidents have been going on in the country for five days, but according to the Interior Minister, there was a bit of silence in terms of protests last night.
French authorities say that 719 angry protesters were arrested from across the country on Saturday night, while 45 police officers were injured in the clashes and protesters set fire to 800 places.
So far, at least 56 people have been arrested in the southern city of Marseille. Police can be seen using tear gas in the videos . But a heavy police presence in central Paris appears to have stopped the protests there A large number of people attended the last rites of 17-year-old Naheel M. Naheel was shot dead by a policeman for not stopping at a traffic light.
Many French cities have been in chaos since Tuesday's death in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. In a tweet, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanen praised the "solid action" by law enforcement agencies and the "peaceful night" thanks to it. On Saturday night, around 45,000 police personnel were deployed across the country to increase security.
According to the Ministry of Interior, 486 people were arrested on Saturday, while more than 1300 people were arrested by Friday night and more than 900 people were arrested on Thursday. There were heavy clashes between police and protesters in Marseille on Saturday night. In the video circulating online, it can be seen that the police are using tear gas on the citizens.
According to French media, the clashes lasted for more than an hour at key locations in the center of Marseille. People on social media continued to call for protesters to gather in Paris, but a heavy police presence kept the protests contained.
According to the Paris police, he has made 194 arrests. Bus and tram services were suspended for the second consecutive night in the city. According to reports, French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne attended a police command room meeting in Paris to review efforts to maintain law and order.
The mayor of a southern Paris suburb said the angry attacker's car crashed into his house and set it on fire. His wife and a child were injured in this attack. In the northern city of Lille, special police forces were patrolling the streets. Images have emerged from the city of scenes in which firefighters are putting out cars set on fire by protesters.
21 people were arrested in Lyon, while there were also clashes in Nice and Strasbourg. Officials hope the turning point has been reached and the protesters are losing steam as security forces crack down on protesters and vandalism is condemned by protesters. However, until more days of peace prevail, it would be premature to say anything.
Naheel's last rites were held at a mosque in Nantere on Saturday where thousands of participants chanted 'Justice for Naheel'. Young people gathered around his dead body. According to French media, Muslims also offered his funeral prayer.
The family kept the news media out of its coverage. There was a ban on making videos and using phones. Participants were told not to use Snapchat or Instagram.Naheel was shot when he refused to stop at a traffic check. He died before the rescue team arrived.
In a video shared after Naheel's death, two police officers can be seen trying to stop the car, and at one point one of the officers points his gun at the driver. The police officer involved in the incident has been fired and charged with intentional homicide. He has also apologized to the family and his lawyer says he is saddened by the death.
Naheel's death has reignited the debate over police violence in France. Firearms laws introduced in 2017 allow police to open fire if a driver does not stop. In this context, the police are accused of racism. The UN human rights office has said the unrest in France offers an opportunity to address racism in law enforcement.
President Emmanuel McEwan on Friday condemned the violence and said Naheel's death was being justified by violence. He said that the exploitation of the youth's death is unacceptable.
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