Crowds gathered at town halls across France on Monday in a show of solidarity after six nights of riots over the fatal police shooting last week of a young motorist known only as Nahel M. The outpouring of support follows a weekend attack on the home of the mayor of Haÿ-les-Roses that left his wife and one of his children injured. Nahel M.'s family has joined appeals for calm. Follow our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
- A 17-year-old identified only as Nahel M. was shot at point-blank range by a police officer early on June 27 in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where he lived.
- Police initially reported that he was shot after driving his car at police, but this was contradicted by a video that rapidly went viral across social media and was later authenticated by AFP. The footage shows the two policemen standing by the stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at the driver. A voice is heard saying, "You are going to get a bullet in the head." The police officer then appears to fire as the car abruptly drives off before gradually coming to a stop.
- The incident has sparked six nights of violent unrest in the capital and cities across France that have seen protesters clash with police.
- More than 45,000 police officers have been mobilised to quell the unrest.
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23:00pm: Macron visits police barracks
President Emmanuel Macron visited a police barracks in the capital's 17th arrondissement (district) on Monday night, "assuring them of his support" in his first outings on the scene since the protests erupted, a source in his office said.
Authorities reported a sharp decline in incidents nationwide, with just 11 arrests in Paris and its suburbs as of 10:00 pm (2000 GMT), the police department said.
A total of 157 people had been arrested overnight Sunday to Monday – a small fraction of the number held the night before. Three police officers were also hurt.
8:07pm: Security measures to be maintained despite easing unrest, says PM Élisabeth Borne
The security measures established since riots broke out early last week will be maintained for overnight despite an ease in unrest, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said on Monday as she briefed a press conference.
The 45,000-strong police and gendarmerie force deployed to deal with riots that erupted in the wake of the death of Nahel M. last week would remain in place for now, Borne said, adding that the priority is a return to “order”.
Paris public transport operator RATP has suspended bus and tramway services after 9pm in the city and the wider Parisian region. Some Paris suburbs have also set up a curfew to prevent new outbreaks of violence.
7:50pm: Riots cause €20 million in damage to Paris region transport system
Six days of riots over the police killing of a teenager has caused some €20 million in damage to public transport in the Paris region, the regional operator said Monday.
This includes "burned buses, a torched tram car, two damaged tramways and urban infrastructure which was smashed", the authority for the Ile-de-France regional transport network said in a statement.
5:27pm: Crowds gather to show solidarity with l'Haÿ-les-Roses mayor and local authorities
Several hundred people gathered outside the main marketplace of L'Haÿ-les-Roses to listen to mayor Vincent Jeanbrun speaking about the violence that swept across France last week, including an attack on his family home which injured his wife and one of his children, said FRANCE 24’s Liza Kaminov.
Right-wing political party leaders such as Les Républicains party president Éric Ciotti, French Senate president Gérard Larcher and Île-de-France region president Valérie Pécresse joined the mayor.
“The main message is to condemn the violence that swept across the country last week but also to call for the restoration of order in the Republic,” said Kaminov.
Please click on the video player below to watch the report.
4:26pm: More than €1 million pledged for officer accused of shooting Nahel M.
A collection for a French policeman who sparked nationwide riots by shooting a teenager dead topped €1 million ($1.1 million) Monday, dwarfing donations made to the victim's family.
More than 40,000 people have pledged money to the online appeal set up by a far-right media commentator on the Gofundme.com website.
It easily outstripped the €200,000 collected for the family of Nahel M., 17, who was of north African origin.
Nahel's grandmother said she was "heartbroken" by the support shown for the policeman.
"He took the life of my grandson. This man must pay, the same as everyone," she told the BFM channel on Sunday. "I have confidence in the justice system. I believe in justice."
Many right-wing figures have defended the security forces, while those on the left see the death as a consequence of systemic racism in the police.
Widespread rioting and looting since appear to have deepened the polarisation.
4:02pm: Crowds across France show solidarity at town halls targeted in rioting following police shooting
Crowds gathered at town halls across France Monday to show solidarity with local governments targeted in six nights of unrest touched off by the police shooting of a 17-year-old.
The riots, which seemed to be easing overnight into Monday, were driven by a teenage backlash in the suburbs and urban housing projects against a French state that many young people with immigrant roots say routinely discriminates against them. In all, 99 town halls have been attacked in the violence, along with other public buildings, according to the Interior Ministry.
French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting Tuesday with mayors of 220 towns from across the country. Across France, 34 buildings were attacked overnight – many of them linked to the government – along with 297 vehicles.
2:46pm: Nanterre mayor echoes family's calls for calm
"The time has come for reconciliation," said Patrick Jarry, the mayor of Nanterre, reiterating calls for calm from Nahel M.'s family.
The western Paris suburb had been home to the 17-year-old victim, whose death at the hands of a police officer last Tuesday has sparked six nights of riots.
1:28pm: Mayors hold anti-riot rallies across France
Demonstrations began at French town halls on Monday opposing nearly a week of violent protests, even as the first signs emerged that the unrest was beginning to ease.
Monday's demonstrations, called a "mobilisation of citizens for a return to republican order", came after the home of the mayor of a Paris suburb was rammed with a flaming car, prompting widespread outrage.
In a statement, an association of the country's mayors noted that areas "everywhere in France are the scene of serious unrest, which targets republican symbols with extreme violence".
12:19pm: French people gather outside L'Haÿ-les-Roses to express opposition to riots
FRANCE 24's Liza Kaminov is outside the town hall of L'Haÿ-les-Roses, the ordinarily quiet township in which the mayor's home was charged by a car and set alight by rioters over the weekend. The incident left the mayor's wife and one of his children injured.
"Nothing of the sort has happened before at L'Haÿ-les-Roses, which is why locals were very shocked and very surprised when they woke up on Sunday," Kaminov says.
11:21am: Riots over the police shooting of Nahel could harm France's international image
FRANCE 24's international affairs editor Philip Turle says the wider ramifications of the rioting on France's image abroad are a "serious problem for the French government".
But it's not the first time that tourists have steered clear of chaos in France. Turle breaks down other incidents in the country's past that have kept tourists away.
10:23am: €850,000 raised for French policeman who killed Nahel
Crowdfunding for the French policeman who sparked nationwide riots last week by shooting a teenager dead during a traffic stop reached more than €850,000 on Monday morning.
Just under 40,000 people had made donations to the online fund set up on the website Gofundme.com by a far-right media commentator. The biggest individual donation was €3,000.
Nahel's grandmother said she was "heartbroken" by the support shown for the police officer when she was asked about it on Sunday.
8:37am: Firefighter dies trying to douse burning vehicles
A firefighter has died outside of Paris trying to douse burning vehicles.
The 24-year-old died fighting a fire in an underground car park in the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis north of the capital, said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
It is not yet clear whether the death is connected to the ongoing riots.
8:26am: France arrests 157 in overnight rioting, fewer than previous days
The French interior ministry has updated the number of arrests made by police overnight to 157.
7:49am: France's mayors seek to mobilise public against riots
France's mayors have called on members of the public and elected officials to gather at town halls across the country on Monday in a show of mass opposition to violent protests that have dragged on for nearly a week.
The extraordinary call – for a "mobilisation of citizens for a return to republican order" – came after the home of the mayor of a Paris suburb was rammed with a flaming car in an apparent bid to burn it down, prompting widespread outrage.
In a press release, an association of the country's mayors noted that "communes everywhere in France are the scene of serious unrest, which targets republican symbols with extreme violence".
3:09am: 78 arrests made across France Sunday
The interior ministry said police made 78 arrests nationwide on Sunday, down significantly from 719 arrests the day before.
More than 3,000 people have been detained overall following a mass security deployment.
Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured in the violence, although authorities haven’t said how many protesters have been hurt.
Key developments from Sunday, July 2:
President Emmanuel Macron held a special security meeting Sunday night and plans to meet Monday with the heads of both houses of parliament and Tuesday with the mayors of 220 towns and cities affected by the protests, said a participant in the meeting, who spoke anonymously in line with French government practices. Macron also wants to start a detailed, longer-term assessment of the reasons that led to the unrest, the official said.
The grandmother of the French teenager Nahel, shot dead by police during a traffic stop, pleaded Sunday for rioters to stop after five nights of unrest, while authorities expressed outrage at an attack on a suburban mayor’s home that injured his family members.
Read yesterday's liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters and AP)
