1000 protestors arrested overnight in France: Reports
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The protests vandalized 31 police departments, 16 offices of the municipal police, and 11 gendarmerie barracks.
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Firefighters use a water hose on a burnt car in Nanterre, outside Paris, France, Saturday, July 1, 2023 (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
The French TV station BFMTV reported that around 1000 people were detained by the police last night over the burgeoning protests in the country.
The broadcaster also noted that the protests left large-scale destruction of private property; 1,350 cars and 234 buildings were damaged and 2,560 fires were started in public places.
The protests also left public property damaged: 31 police departments, 16 offices of the municipal police, and 11 gendarmerie barracks.
Additionally, the French Ministry of Interior revealed that 79 police officers and gendarmes were injured during the protests.
Read more: Nahel's death exposes rooted division in France: Report
In the course of night demonstrations brought on by the police shooting of a teenager, a young man died on Friday after falling from the roof of a store in northwest France, according to the police.
The man, aged around 20, broke through the supermarket's roof even though no looting was reported during the riots that occurred overnight on Thursday and Friday, they said.
Meanwhile, as protests intensify and expand, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that France is increasing its police force to 45,000 officers nationally in preparation for what is anticipated to be the fourth consecutive night of violent protests.
Tensions have been rising with protesters and police officers clashing in several areas.
An anonymous police source confirmed that nearly 6,200 people participated in the protests, during which signs like "Police kill," and "Our lives are in danger" were held up by protesters.
Concurrently, Macron called for an early morning crisis meeting of his ministers and urged calm. He branded the overnight clashes "unjustifiable" and told the meeting the "last few hours have been marked by scenes of violence against police stations, but also schools and town halls... against institutions and the Republic."
However, far-right leader Marine Le Pen claimed that the police officer involved was entitled to the "presumption of innocence."
Read more: Macron announces pension reforms to go into full effect in fall
A survey conducted back in April shows that more than 60% of the French people believe that President Emmanuel Macron has become more authoritarian since taking office in 2017.
The poll, which was conducted by ViaVoice for the Liberation newspaper, also revealed that 72% of participants believe Macron has done less to bring people together than he did at the start of his first term, and over 60% have doubts about his capacity to address the nation's economic problems. According to 55% of respondents, Macron's overall professional performance declined.
Only 15% of French believe that Macron is relatable to regular people, a drop of 11 percentage points from September 2021.
French President Emmanuel Macron is paying a high price for the pension reform as his popularity is plunging as French protests soar.
