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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
World
Katie Williams

Edinburgh holidaymakers issued travel warning as rioting in France continues

Holidaymakers heading to France have been issued an urgent message as riots continue across the country.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for France, warning people their holiday could be disrupted by the demonstrations.

The Foreign Office said: "Since 27 June, protests have taken place in Paris and other locations across France.

READ MORE - Edinburgh set to be battered with days of downpours and thunderstorms

"Some have turned violent. The protests may lead to disruptions to road travel or targeting of parked cars in areas where protests take place. You should monitor the media, avoid protests, check the latest advice with operators when travelling and follow the advice of the authorities."

The Foreign Office website adds: "If demonstrations do turn violent, a heavy police/gendarmerie presence is to be expected. Avoid demonstrations wherever possible and follow the advice of the local authorities."

The interior minister has ordered a complete shutdown of all public bus and tram services across the country which came into force on Friday night.

Tens of thousands of police officers have now been deployed to handle the protests which broke out after a deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old boy.

Pedestrians stand next to a damaged and burnt merchandise truck near an Aldi store in north of Marseille, southern France. (CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

While French President Emmanuel Macron has not declared a state of emergency, he held an emergency security meeting on Thursday about the protests before postponing a state visit to Germany.

At the start of the meeting, Macron said: "These acts are totally unjustifiable," and he aimed at securing hot spots and planned for the coming days "so full peace can return".

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin told French news channel BFMTV that by around 3am on Friday there were at least 471 arrests made across the country. This is down significantly from the 917 arrests made on Thursday.

At least nine arrests were made in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre on Friday, authorities said those who were arrested had petrol jerry cans and Molotov cocktails.

Armoured police vehicles rammed through the charred remains of cars that had been flipped and set ablaze in the northwestern Paris suburb of Nanterre, where a police officer shot the teenage delivery driver.

On the other side of Paris, protesters lit a fire at the city hall of the suburb of Clichy-Sous-Bois.

Meanwhile, as the riots spread across France, police sought to disperse violent groups in the city centre of Marseille, regional authorities said.

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