Unrest erupted in France for the second night in a row, with thousands of security personnel deployed to prevent further violent protests after the fatal shooting of a teenager by police.
A 17-year-old was shot in the chest at point-blank range on Tuesday morning, prompting the deployment of 2,000 riot police in Paris neighborhoods.
The killing provoked riots and arson assaults in many Paris neighborhoods overnight Tuesday, leading to 31 arrests and the injuries of 24 police officers.
Trash bins were set on fire and fireworks were set off in the western district of Nanterre, as well as other communes in the Hauts-de-Seine region to the west of Paris and in the eastern city of Dijon, overnight on Wednesday.
Police stated that after forcing all the passengers off of a bus in the Essonne region, south of the city, a group of individuals set the bus on fire.
According to a police source, numerous automobiles were set on fire in the southern city of Toulouse, and responding officers and firefighters were showered with objects as dense black smoke billowed high into the sky.
Police reported just after midnight that about 16 people had been apprehended across the country.
Celebrities, including star player Kylian Mbappe, voiced indignation and grief after the teenager’s death, while the government issued rare criticism of security personnel in an attempt to defuse tensions.
“A teen was killed. That is inexplicable and unforgivable”, President Emmanuel Macron remarked during an official visit to Marseille, France’s southernmost city.
“Nothing can ever justify the death of a young person”, France President added.
Nahel M., from the western Paris district of Nanterre, was stopped by two police officers on Tuesday morning for violating traffic laws while driving a yellow Mercedes.
Police initially stated that an officer shot at the boy because he was driving his car towards him, however, this account of events was disputed by a video that circulated on social media.
The video shows two police officers standing by the side of a stopped automobile, one of whom is pointing a pistol at the driver.
A voice can be heard saying, “You are going to get a bullet in the head”.
As the automobile abruptly pulls away, the police officer appears to shoot.
“The action was obviously not in line with the rules of engagement for police”, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told parliament.
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