France to deploy 40K officers to quell violence after police shooting
The killing of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop has reignited tensions between young people and police in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
LEARN MOREPosted: 10:53 p.m. EDT Jun 30, 2023
Unrest continued in France and across France's overseas territories following the Tuesday shooting of a teenager by French police.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm on Friday, blaming social media for driving unrest and asking parents to keep their kids off the streets.
But violence and looting continued Friday, where protesters set fires and threw projectiles. Police fired tear gas, and repelled people attempting to enter locked businesses. In Marseille, in the south of the country, police say looters ransacked a gun shop. At least one person with a hunting rifle was subsequently arrested.
Unrest has also spread overseas. In French Guiana, on the coast of South America, authorities say a man died from a gunshot injury after a rioter fired toward police and the bullet went stray.
On the island of Reunion, in the Indian Ocean, 150 officers had deployed to meet rioters who had set fires and thrown projectiles.
Unrest started on Tuesday in France, after police allegedly fatally shot a 17-year-old. The incident, which is a relative rarity in France, was captured on video. Investigators found the use of force was not justified, and the officer responsible has been charged with voluntary homicide.
France's interior minister says 45,000 officers are now out attempting to corral violence. President Macron says the government is approaching social media companies like TikTok and Instagram to crack down on traffic that promotes the violence, and expects from them "a spirit of responsibility."
