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France has quieter night after Nahel Ms grandmother calls for riots to stop

Paris riots
There was a heavy police presence in Paris as riot activity quietened down on Sunday (Picture: EPA/AFP)

The number of people arrested in France on Sunday dropped dramatically after the grandmother of a teenager shot by a police officer called for peace.

There have been riots across France following the shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk on Tuesday morning.

45,000 police officers have been deployed across Paris and other major cities, with curfews in place and the subway system closing early.

Yesterday Nahel’s grandmother Nadia spoke to French news channel BFM and said: ‘I want it to stop everywhere.

‘The people who are destroying, I tell them stop! Let them not destroy the schools, the buses.’

Speaking of the devastating impact of the past week on her family, Nadia said she is ‘tired’, adding: ‘It’s over, my daughter no longer has a life.’

For the latest news on the Paris riots and shooting, follow Metro.co.uk’s live blog here

It seems Nadia’s plea had the desired effect, as there were only 78 arrests across France on Sunday in relation to rioting – a huge decrease compared to the 719 arrests on Saturday and 1,300 on Friday.

epa10723031 Riot police forces secure the area in front of the Arc de triomphe amid fears of another night of clashes with protestors in Paris, France, 02 July 2023. Violence broke out all over France after police fatally shot a 17-year-old teenager during a traffic stop in Nanterre on 27 June. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
Riot police secure the area in front of the Arc de Triomphe (Picture: EPA)
TOPSHOT - Demonstrators run as French police officers use tear gas in Paris on July 2, 2023, five days after a 17-year-old man was killed by police in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. French police arrested 1311 people nationwide during a fourth consecutive night of rioting over the killing of a teenager by police, the interior ministry said on July 1, 2023. France had deployed 45,000 officers overnight backed by light armoured vehicles and crack police units to quell the violence over the death of 17-year-old Nahel, killed during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on June 27, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)
There were still demonstrations on Sunday – but far fewer than in previous days (Picture: Ludovic MARIN/AFP)

The huge number of officers were once again deployed following the attack on the home of L’Hay-les-Roses mayor Vincent Jeanbrun in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mr Jeanbrun described the attack as an ‘assassination attempt’, adding that his wife and one of his two children were injured after a burning car was driven into his house.

Skirmishes erupted in the Mediterranean city of Marseille on Sunday, but appeared less intense than the night before, according to the interior ministry.

President Emmanuel Macron chaired a special security meeting yesterday as the protests continued for a sixth day.

An official at the meeting said Mr Macron plans to meet with the leaders of both houses of parliament today, followed by discussions with mayors in the 220 towns and cities affected by the protests.

He also wants to start a detailed, longer-term assessment of the reasons that led to the unrest – which exposed deep-seated discontent in low-income neighbourhoods.

Mr Macron delayed the start of the first state visit to Germany in 23 years due to the ongoing violence.

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from News – Metro https://ift.tt/7BzTHOp

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