French mayors hold anti-riot rally.

The French government has struggled to quell riots and looting since 17-year-old Nahel M. was killed by a police officer last Tuesday for a traffic violation, sparking long-standing allegations of racism within the country's security forces.

French markets organize anti-riot rallies (Figure 1) — Mayors held a rally calling for an end to the riots in L'Hay-les-Roses near Paris, France, on July 3, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Riots subsided.

The rallies on Monday called for "restoring order" and took place after a burning car crashed into the home of a mayor in a Paris suburb, sparking widespread outrage.

"Democracy itself has been attacked... this cannot continue and will not continue," declared Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of L'Hay-les-Roses, where the house was attacked early Sunday morning.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the deployment of 45,000 police and gendarmes would be maintained on Monday and Tuesday evenings. “The top priority is to ensure order is restored,” she declared.

President Emmanuel Macron visited a police barracks in Paris's 17th arrondissement on Monday evening, aiming to "show his support" in his first trip to the scene since the riots broke out.

Authorities said that riots across France had subsided sharply, with only 11 arrests in Paris and its suburbs on Monday. Only 157 people had been arrested between Sunday and Monday.

The French Justice Ministry said that a total of around 3,900 people have been arrested since Friday, including 1,244 minors. All bus and tram services in the Paris area remain suspended after 9 p.m.

However, in a move that could spark renewed anger, donations to the family of the officer who fired the shots in the incident – now charged with manslaughter – have reached 1 million euros.

Heavy losses

The French government has now allocated tens of millions of euros to provide emergency support for the repair of public buildings and small businesses around Paris and in two other regions.

French markets organize anti-riot rallies (Figure 2) — The town hall in Persan, near Paris, France, was damaged after being attacked by rioters. Photo: Reuters

French officials said on Monday that the riots had caused around 20 million euros in damage to public transport in Paris alone. This included dozens of buses being burned and a tram line being set ablaze.

Meanwhile, the Medef business association estimated the damage to companies at "more than one billion euros," with over 200 businesses looted and 300 bank offices destroyed.

The riots have also created a new crisis for President Emmanuel Macron, who has already had to deal with numerous large-scale protests during his term. He is expected to meet with the mayors of more than 220 towns affected by the riots today.

Bui Huy (according to AFP, Reuters)

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