Tense Calm After French Riots
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
PARIS (Worthy News) – A tense calm returned to the streets of France on Monday after five days of violent protests sparked by last week’s fatal police shooting of Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan descent.
However, President Emmanuel Macron asked the interior ministry to keep a “massive” police presence on the streets, with some 45,000 security forces deployed over the weekend.
On Monday, mayors called for rallies to be held outside town halls to protest the violence and looting in their towns and villages.
In the Paris suburb of Nanterre, Nahel M.’s hometown, mayor Patrick Jarry said he was pleased the violence had subsided.
But be stressed, “we shouldn’t lose sight of the incident that sparked this situation and the continuing need for justice.”
The violence underscored long-standing grievances over reported police abuse and racial profiling in the suburbs with large migrant communities.
Critics say last Tuesday’s killing of Nahel M. was the final push for the violence seen across France.
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