Riots in France appeared to ease on Monday after nearly a week of violence. [Picture: CBS News]
Beneath the watchful presence of the iconic Eiffel Tower, France is being razed to the ground. It was only after five nights of violent protests that the situation eased up a bit, as President Emmanuel Macron readied to meet leaders of Parliament.
Days of protest and violence were unleashed by the police shooting of teenager Nahal M. The 17-year-old, of Algerian descent, was killed during a police traffic stop in a Parisian suburb on Tuesday.
Speaking in an interview on Salaamedia, live from France, freelance journalist Clotilde Bigot said the tensions were heightened by the polarised political climate in that country.
“We have the far-right kind of putting oil on the fire and trying to stir up anger towards these protesters and rioters because, they’re alluding, there’s a lot of violence. Then we have the left that refuses to condemn the violence and that says it just wants justice.”
Thousands were arrested as rioters caused widespread destruction in more than 200 towns and cities across the country. President Macron was expected to meet the mayors of affected cities on Monday after meeting with government ministers.
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Protests in France
The protests initially erupted in condemnation of police violence in France, but quickly spiralled out of control. Bigot suggested a “ghetto-like” situation in Parisian suburbia, populated by a number of immigrants, contributed to anger on the streets.
“Many people are poor and underfunded. There is this feeling that the republic has forgotten about them and you have to add that to police violence, which is very strong in France, especially in these neighbourhoods because the system of the French police is racist.”
Meanwhile, Nahel’s family has appealed for calm. His grandmother, Nadia, reportedly told BFMTV, “I say this to those who are rioting: do not smash windows, attack schools and buses. Stop. It’s mothers who take those buses”.
But Bigot said the protests had shifted beyond Nahel’s murder.
“They have explicitly stated that they want these riots to stop, but now it’s much bigger than them. This is not about Nahel anymore – it was about him at the beginning, but now it’s just about the police [and] authorities.
The 45 000 police officers deployed to restore order have detained more than 3,000 people since Tuesday. Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, said the deployment would remain in place for now.
