Paris: Violent protests that erupted in France Tuesday following the brutal shooting of a teenager by a police officer are continuing unabated for the fourth consecutive day.
The 17-year-old French Algerian boy identified as Nahel M was shot dead in Nanterre, Western Paris suburbs on Tuesday.
Local media reported that more than 19,00 vehicles and over 490 buildings were set on fire in the four days of violent protests.
Reports of protesters clashing with police personnel are coming from different parts.
Although the situation in the Paris region was calmer in the Paris region, things remained tense in Marseille and Lyon, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told BBC.
The Minister said in a tweet that reinforcements would be sent to Marseille following reports by the local mayor of violence and looting.
The government had deployed 45,000 police personnel, special units, armored vehicles and helicopters to maintain law and order and keep the violence in check.
But despite this, widespread violence, vandalism and looting took place in cities across the country, with buildings and vehicles set on fire.
Protests continued into the early hours of Saturday morning in defiance of a ban announced on Friday on all “large-scale events” in the country, with rioting erupting in several cities, CNN quoted the local BFMTV as saying in a report.
Social media footages of Lyon showed rapid gunfire from an automatic rifle at night, fireworks being released at a protest and demonstrators next to burning fires.
There was an explosion in the Old Port of Marseille on Friday evening, according to BFMTV, but no casualties had been reported.
It also shared video showing damage to the Alcazar library in Marseille which it said had been vandalised during the night.
Nahel was shot dead during a traffic stop on Tuesday morning in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, CNN reported.
Video clip of the shooting filmed by an eyewitness showed two officers standing on the driver’s side of the car, one of whom fired his gun at the driver despite not appearing to be in any immediate danger.
The officer has said he fired his gun out of fear that the boy would run someone over with the car, according to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache.
The officer currently faces a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention.
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