The riots that spread across France overnight are a stark reminder of the systemic racism within law enforcement agencies and the deep-seated anger of the low-income, racially mixed suburbs that ring major cities in the country .

The shooting of a 17-year-old North African teen during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb has led to the investigation of the police officer involved and a crisis meeting called by President Emmanuel Macron. He said that the police had been given clear orders to use their firearms only in the event of an attack on them or on a third person

The French president strongly condemned the incident, saying it was “unforgivable”. He also addressed the violence that has broken out throughout the country, stating that “scenes of violence against police stations but also schools and town halls, and thus institutions of the Republic” were “wholly unjustifiable”.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that 40,000 policemen would be deployed across France on Thursday evening, with 5,000 in the Paris region, versus 9,000 the night before. He also clarified that officers were to use their firearms only in the event of an attack on them or on a third person.

The shooting of the teenager has sparked wider conversations about police violence and the systemic racism that exists in France. Statistics show that the majority of victims of police shootings in France since 2017 have been Black or of Arab origin. In 2005, riots spread across the country after the death of two young people electrocuted in a power substation as they hid from police.

Ten years later, two officers were acquitted in a trial. The incident in Nanterre has cut deep, reviving the deep-seated anger of a nation and bringing to light the need for long-overdue reform. Mr. Macron is facing the challenge of calming tensions and finding a way forward, beginning with a crisis meeting with senior Ministers and a state of emergency.