At least 150 people were arrested Wednesday in France following protests that began Tuesday after a 17-year-old was shot dead by police in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris.
Most of the arrests took place in the Ile-de-France region and were confirmed by the Minister of the Interior, who speaks of a “night of unacceptable violence”.
There are records of schools, dozens of vehicles, subway cars and even burned police stations.
Le Figaro also denounced an attempted escape of inmates from the Fresnes prison, in the same area. Dozens of hooded men tried to enter the prison, but the attempt was repelled.
In Nanterre, where the clashes were most violent, “several public and private buildings, including schools, suffered significant and unacceptable damage, sometimes irreparable,” said the municipality, calling for an end to this “destructive spiral.”
The victim’s mother, Nael, 17, called through social networks for a “march” in memory of her son.
The clashes, which spread to various municipalities around Paris, have already resulted in the arrest of 31 people, minor injuries to 24 members of the security forces and some 40 burned-out cars, the French Interior Ministry said.
The protesters attacked several police vehicles, police stations and town halls, set fire to a primary school and a shop. The situation in Nanterre is out of control, according to Le Figaro, noting that the police have left the scene of the clashes.
The protests began after a 17-year-old was shot in the chest at a police checkpoint after his vehicle was intercepted. The agent responsible, who is in custody, stated in a first hearing that he acted “in self-defense.”
After the teen’s death, police reported an attempted hit-and-run, although a video contradicted this version. Meanwhile, the Government has sent around two thousand police officers to Nanterre.
Source: TSF
