Brits travelling to Paris this summer have been warned about violent protests that have erupted in the capital of France.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice page for the country to warn anyone travelling to the city or surrounding areas that their holiday could be disrupted by the demonstrations.
In a new update to its travel advice page, the Foreign Office said: "Since 27 June, protests have taken place in Paris and other locations across France. 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."
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The advice 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."
Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre. It came after a 17-year-old delivery driver was shot and killed during a police traffic check. French prosecutors have confirmed that magistrates will investigate a police officer for 'voluntary homicide' following the incident.
The death sparked unrest in the streets of Nanterre, where the incident took place, and local residents held a protest outside the police headquarters. On Wednesday, the government deployed 2,000 police to maintain order but the violence resumed overnight.
Police and firefighters have been struggling to contain protesters and had to extinguish numerous blazes through the night. Damage has been caused to schools, police stations and town halls, according to a spokesperson for the national police.
In an update today, the national police reported fires or skirmishes in multiple cities overnight, from Toulouse in the south to Lille in the north, though the centre of tensions continues to be Nanterre and other Paris suburbs.
French President Emmanuel Macron has now held an emergency security meeting about the violence. “These acts are totally unjustifiable,” Mr Macron said at the beginning of the meeting, which aimed at securing hot spots and planning for the coming days “so full peace can return”. Interior minister Gerald Darmanin has said that 40,000 police officers will be deployed overnight to quell the violence.
