Macron seeks to restore order amid violent unrest in France
President convenes meeting with ministers at Elysee Palace, stressing need to continue efforts to restore calm, as well as revealing plans to launch comprehensive investigation.
French President Emmanuel Macron attends a government emergency meeting after riots erupted for the fifth night in a row across the country following the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed during a traffic stop in Nanterre by a French police officer, at the Interior Ministry in Paris, France, July 2, 2023. / Photo: Reuters Archive
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the government to take all necessary measures to restore order in the country following a fifth consecutive night of violent unrest sparked by the killing of a teenager last week by police.
According to BFMTV, Macron convened a meeting at the Elysee Palace on Sunday which included Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and several other ministers to address the ongoing situation in the country.
During the meeting, he asked the ministers to "continue to do everything in their power to restore order and guarantee a return to calm."
He also emphasized the importance of launching a comprehensive investigation to gain a deeper understanding of the unfolding situation.
France arrests more than 700 people across on fifth night of protests pic.twitter.com/sRbPQieHYR
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More security deployed
Macron is set to meet with French National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet and Senate President Gerard Larcher on Monday, followed by a gathering with 220 mayors affected by the protests at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities have deployed armored vehicles in the city center of Marseille to take steps against the possibility of renewed protests.
Special police units are also on duty in Lyon following tense nights of protests in the city.
Footage circulating on social media showed a group of far-right activists marching through the streets of Lyon, chanting slogans such as “France belongs to the French.”
The nationwide protests over the killing of Nahel M., a 17-year-old teenager of Algerian descent, continue to shake France.
According to the Interior Ministry, on the fifth night of the protests, 577 vehicles and 74 buildings were set on fire and 871 fires were recorded in streets and other public spaces.
Nahel was shot at point-blank range by a police officer last Tuesday during a traffic check in the Paris suburb of Nanterre after he ignored orders to stop.
The officer faces a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention.
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