French police detain 96 individuals nationwide on Bastille Day: Report

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Jul 2023 20:16

255 cars have been set on fire nationwide, with 62 arson cases recorded in the capital city.

Officials enjoy the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris (AFP)

French police conducted 96 arrests on Bastille Day, July 14, throughout the country, with 54 of those arrests taking place in Paris, as reported by BFMTV citing the interior minister.

Bastille Day, the French National Day, commemorates the historic event of the Storming of the Bastille political prison on July 14, 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.

The report stated that seven individuals, including police, gendarmes, and firefighters, were injured, and law enforcement forces faced the use of fireworks against them on 51 occasions. Additionally, 255 cars were set on fire nationwide, with 62 arson cases recorded in the capital city.

Despite these incidents, social unrest has decreased compared to the previous year. In 2022, there were 21 injuries among law enforcement officers and firefighters, 333 cases of fireworks being used against the police, and 423 vehicles set on fire, as reported by BFMTV.

In Paris specifically, detentions decreased by 80%, and arson cases decreased by 70%, according to the report. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin expressed his gratitude to the French law enforcement forces for their service during the national holiday on Twitter.

He had previously announced the deployment of around 130,000 police and special unit officers from July 13 to 14 to maintain law and order.

French media reported on Friday that multiple cities across the country have decided to cancel their yearly fireworks shows on the day of the Bastille celebrated on the fourteenth day of every July.

Despite that the wave of protests across France is cooling down, the cities decided to cancel the holiday after French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin issued instructions regarding the prevention of the illegal use of fireworks amid social unrest, the BMFTV broadcaster reported.

The big picture

On June 27, Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan origin, was shot in the chest at point-blank range last week in the western region of Paris after he was pulled over for breaking traffic rules in a yellow Mercedes.

The recent police killing of the youth has reignited deep-seated resentment towards police brutality among various French minority communities. It has also sparked a renewed and contentious discussion about the issue of racial profiling by French law enforcement.

Official figures suggest that between 3400-4000, people have been arrested so far, including around 1,200 minors - some even as young as 12. Most of the arrested individuals have no previous criminal record, the justice ministry said.

According to the latest figures from the French Interior Ministry, over 12,000 cars and some 500 municipal buildings have been burned, and over 1,000 shops and bank offices have been looted in the unrest.