Focus

Fifth night of Paris protests witness clashes between police, demonstrators

02 Jul 2023 12:10pm
Fifth night of Paris protests witness clashes between police and protesters. - Photo: AFP
Fifth night of Paris protests witness clashes between police and protesters. - Photo: AFP
A
A
A

ANKARA, Turkey - Protests in France after the police killing of a teen earlier this week, entered a fifth straight night Saturday with clashes between protesters and police, and allegations of involvement by far-right groups.

Footage on social media depicted protesters setting fires at various locations throughout Paris, reported Anadolu Agency.

Demonstrators launched fireworks at police in the capital while simultaneously setting barricades ablaze in the popular neighbourhood of Barbes.

As the iconic Champs-Elysees Avenue once again became crowded with protesters following a recent evacuation, the heightened presence of police forces drew attention.

Twitter footage showed protesters in Paris launching fireworks at patrolling motorcycle officers, forcing them to retreat.

Police maintained patrols around the partially evacuated tourist hotspot of Champs-Elysees Avenue but clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators erupted on narrow streets as they attempted to prevent looting and vandalism.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrived at a crisis centre in Paris and that operates under the Interior Ministry in response to the incidents.

"I have come here to reaffirm my full support and that of my government to them," Borne wrote on Twitter.

Related Articles:

"Tonight, 45,000 police officers and gendarmes, along with thousands of firefighters, are mobilised to protect and uphold public order.

Videos online show chaotic scenes unfolding in various cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg and Nice.

French broadcaster BFMTV reported that several mayors requested more assistance from the government to restore order.

Allegations have emerged that far-right and masked groups resorted to assaulting protesters in Angers and Chambery.

Sn extremist group in Angers dispersed after being targeted by a group of protesters, according to Twitter posts.

In other footage reportedly taken in Metz, several people wielding swords were captured on camera.

A total of 322 individuals were detained nationwide, with 126 arrests in Paris and 65 in Marseille, according to BFMTV.

Police have begun to intervene as demonstrators chant slogans demanding justice for Nael M, 17, of North African descent, who was shot at point-blank range by an officer on Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre Nearly 2,000 individuals have been arrested, while more than 200 police officers have been injured.

The officer who shot Nahel faces a formal voluntary homicide investigation and has been placed in preliminary detention. - BERNAMA-ANADOLU

France
Protest
Police
Protesters
More Like This
A doctor stands near bodies lined up for identification after they were unearthed from a mass grave found in the Nasser Medical Complex Photo by AFP
A doctor stands near bodies lined up for identification after they were unearthed from a mass grave found in the Nasser Medical Complex Photo by AFP
World Bodies uncovered in Gaza mass graves raise suspicions of organ theft
165 remain unidentified after their bodies were disfigured
Students and onlookers watch a rally in support of Israel outside the gates of Columbia University from a nearby bridge on April 25, 2024 in New York City. Israel supporters are reacting to the growing number of college campuses throughout the country whose student protesters are setting up pro-Palestinian tent encampments on school grounds. - Photo by AFP
Students and onlookers watch a rally in support of Israel outside the gates of Columbia University from a nearby bridge on April 25, 2024 in New York City. Israel supporters are reacting to the growing number of college campuses throughout the country whose student protesters are setting up pro-Palestinian tent encampments on school grounds. - Photo by AFP
World Columbia University drops deadline for dismantling pro-Palestinian protest camp
Police have carried out large-scale arrests in universities across the country, at times using chemical irritants and tasers to disperse protests.
Rumy Al-Qahtani, Miss Saudi Arabia, poses for a picture during an interview with AFP at her home in Riyadh on April 19, 2024. Qahtani is set to be the first ever participant representing Saudi Arabia in the Miss Universe competition in 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Rumy Al-Qahtani, Miss Saudi Arabia, poses for a picture during an interview with AFP at her home in Riyadh on April 19, 2024. Qahtani is set to be the first ever participant representing Saudi Arabia in the Miss Universe competition in 2024. (Photo by AFP)
World Saudi could get first Miss Universe contestant this year
Saudi model Rumy al-Qahtani created a buzz online in late March when she posted to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers that she was "honoured" to represent Saudi Arabia at Miss Universe at the upcoming event.
A student sits in as law enforcement stands by during a pro-Palestine protest at the The University of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024 in Austin, Texas. - Photo by AFP
A student sits in as law enforcement stands by during a pro-Palestine protest at the The University of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024 in Austin, Texas. - Photo by AFP
World Pro-Palestinian US campus protests grow as police crack down
Riot officers used chemical irritants and tasers at one university as administrators at some of the country's most prestigious institutions battled to prevent occupations taking hold.