Amidst Unrest, France Calls for Calm

Amid Calls for Calm, France Battles Five Nights of Violent Riots Five nights of violent riots have gripped the nation of France since the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M. by police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the grandmother of Nahel M. has issued a plea for calm. The French government, under President Emmanuel Macron, is working desperately to quell the unrest, deploying 45,000 police and gendarmes nationwide. The shooting of Nahel M., who was of Algerian origin, has reignited accusations of institutional racism within the French police. The situation became even more alarming when the home of the mayor of L’Hay-les-Roses outside of Paris was attacked in a new flaring of violence. Assailants rammed a burning car into his home with the aim of setting it on fire, prosecutors said. The mayor’s wife and children, aged 5 and 7, were at home but were fortunately unharmed.

President Macron has postponed a state visit to Germany and will instead be heading a crisis meeting with members of his government. In a bid to limit the violence, buses and trams in France have stopped running after 9 p.m., and the sale of large fireworks and inflammable liquids has been banned. Marseille has stopped all urban transport from 6 p.m.

The protests present a fresh crisis for Macron, who had been hoping to press on with the pledges of his second term after seeing off months of protests that erupted in January over raising the retirement age. The unrest has raised concerns abroad, with France hosting the Rugby World Cup in the autumn and the Paris Olympic Games in the summer of 2024. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin cautioned that “no one is declaring victory” and urged parents to take responsibility for underage rioters, one-third of whom were “young or very young.” Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said that 30 percent of those arrested were minors. Amidst Unrest, France Calls for Calm France has been battling five nights of violent riots since 17-year-old Nahel M. was shot dead in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday. The killing of Nahel M., who was of Algerian origin, has revived longstanding accusations of institutional racism within the French police.

The government of President Emmanuel Macron has responded with a massive deployment of police and gendarmes nationwide in an effort to quell the unrest. The situation worsened when the home of the mayor of L’Hay-les-Roses outside Paris was attacked with a burning car in a new flaring of violence. The attack on the mayor’s home was met with widespread condemnation and the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has urged that the perpetrators be sanctioned with the “utmost severity.” Nahel’s grandmother, Nadia, issued a plea to those rioting to “stop and do not riot.” President Macron has postponed a state visit to Germany and will instead be heading a crisis meeting with members of his government. In an effort to limit the violence, buses and trams in France have stopped running after 9 p.m., and the sale of large fireworks and inflammable liquids has been banned. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said that 30 percent of those arrested were minors and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin urged parents to take responsibility for underage rioters.

The protests present a fresh crisis for Macron, who had been hoping to press on with the pledges of his second term after seeing off months of protests that erupted in January over raising the retirement age. The unrest has raised concerns both nationally and abroad, with France hosting the Rugby World Cup in the autumn and the Paris Olympic Games in the summer of 2024. Culture and entertainment have been disrupted, with singer Mylene Farmer calling off stadium concerts and French fashion house Celine canceling its Paris menswear show.