France deploys 45,000 police and armored vehicles to deal with riots

On June 30, France deployed 45,000 police and several armored vehicles to respond to violent protests that entered their fourth consecutive night, after police shot and killed a teenager.

Vehicles set on fire by protesters in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, France, on June 29. (Source: AFP)

Elite police units and other security forces have been deployed across France to control the riots.

But despite the presence of security forces, looting continued in the cities of Lyon, Marseille and Grenoble on the evening of June 30. Extremists broke into stores, looted cars and burned trash cans.

Looting even took place during the day, targeting some stores in the city of Strasbourg, eastern France.

In the southern French city of Marseille, police used tear gas after youths threw fireworks at police vehicles in the tourist district of Vieux-Port. Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan asked the government to send more forces to the city, while condemning the looting and violence, stressing that these acts were "unacceptable".

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 270 people were arrested nationwide on June 30, including 80 in Marseille. So far, more than 1,100 people have been arrested.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the cancellation of large-scale events nationwide, including concerts. Buses and trams, which had been the targets of violent attacks on previous nights, were also suspended at 9 p.m. Authorities also banned the sale of large fireworks and flammable liquids.

Meanwhile, Swiss buses and trams will not run across the border with France on the evening of June 30. In a statement, Swiss public transport operator TPG said the decision was taken in light of some restrictions imposed by France. TPG advised passengers using cross-border public transport to plan their journeys and check their website or apps for updates.

French President Emmanuel Macron ended his trip to the European Union (EU) Summit in Brussels, Belgium, early to return home to chair a security meeting to respond to the riots.

Mr Macron said that "it is unacceptable to use the death of a teenager to cause riots". He also called on parents to control their children from joining riots in the streets.

According to the French President, more than 33% of those arrested by the police were "young or very young people". In addition, Mr. Macron pledged to cooperate with social media platforms to limit the spread of content inciting violence.

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