France detains 667 people in third night of protests: Minister

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jun 2023 10:42
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At least 667 people have been arrested during the third night of violent protests that were sparked by the death of a 17-year-old teenager who was shot dead by the police on Tuesday.

An attendee waves a light flare as he stands atop a street sign during a commemoration march for Nahel. (AFP via Getty Images)

French security forces overnight Thursday to Friday arrested 667 people in the third consecutive night of violence fueled by the killing of a teenager by a policeman during a traffic control, the Interior Minister declared.

"Last night, our police, gendarmes and firefighters again courageously confronted rare violence. In line with my firm instructions, they made 667 arrests," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted.

Detained in France on third night of protests 421 people, most of them 14-18 years old, writes Figaro, citing sources in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The head of the French Interior Ministry, Gerald Darmanin, called for support for the courageous "policemen, gendarmes and… pic.twitter.com/iL1qzbc11o
— Spriter Team (@SpriterTeam) June 30, 2023

On Thursday, the police officer responsible for the shooting was accused and held in jail pending trial, according to prosecutors. According to regional prosecutors, the investigating magistrate accused the officer of voluntary murder and placed him on temporary arrest following the event.

Nahel, the teenager killed by the police officer, was shot in the chest at point-blank range on Tuesday in the western region of Paris after he was pulled over for allegedly breaking traffic rules in a yellow Mercedes. His mother called for a march on Thursday in tribute to her only child.

Thousands rallied in Nanterre with Nahel's mother on Thursday, yelling "No justice, no peace!" and, "Everyone hates the police."

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."