In France, riots took place for the fourth consecutive night in the night from Friday to Saturday following the death of the teenager Nahel M by a police bullet. However, the violence has decreased in intensity, says French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. This is reported by international news agencies.
According to Darmanin, 471 arrests were made, compared to 917 the night before. It was restless in Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille and in Paris, among others, where Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian descent, was shot on Tuesday in the suburb of Nanterre. Since then, buildings and vehicles have been set on fire and shops looted.
The French authorities deployed 45,000 police officers and used armored vehicles. Earlier in the day, the French government asked local authorities across France to halt bus and tram traffic from 9 p.m. Some major public events were cancelled.
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Explosion in port area
87 arrests were made in the southern French city of Marseille. An explosion occurred in the port area of the city, which presumably did not cause any injuries. Rioters downtown looted a gun shop and stole some shotguns, but no ammunition, police said. The mayor of Marseille asked the French government for reinforcements on Friday evening.
A police officer in Nanterre fired at close range at Nahel on Tuesday, who had been stopped for a traffic violation. The teen initially stopped but then drove on. His death, captured on video, has sparked strong protests from poor and racially mixed communities over police brutality and racism. He will be buried on Saturday.