A firefighter died battling a blaze in an underground car park in Paris during a sixth consecutive night of rioting across France.
The 24-year-old, who has not been named, was on Monday part of an emergency operation in the troubled northern suburb of Saint-Denis.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, said: “Overnight, while fighting against a blaze involving several vehicles in an underground car park in Saint-Denis, a young Corporal-Chief of the Paris Fire Brigade died despite very rapid treatment by his teammates.”
The ongoing violence saw 157 arrests between Sunday and Monday, said Mr Darmanin.
Rallies will be held in front of town halls across France on Monday as people demand an end to the disturbances.
While the latest arrest figure was well down on the 2,000 plus taken into custody on Friday and Saturday nights, violent acts continued.
Vincent Jeanbrun, the mayor of Paris suburb L’Hay-les-Roses, said his wife would not be able to walk for three months after their family home was ramraided on Saturday.
‘It was an assassination attempt,’ he said. ‘A milestone was reached in horror and ignominy.’
The Association of French Mayors has called for ‘the population to mobilise in front of town halls at noon on Monday.
‘We will sound the sirens, we will continue our daily work so that order returns,’ the AFM said in a statement.
The rioting started last Tuesday after Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old from an Algerian background, was shot dead by a policeman in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Many – including Mr Merzouk’s family – said the killing was symptomatic of widespread racism against ethnic minority groups in France.
President Emmanuel Macron postponed a state visit to Germany that was due to begin on Sunday to deal with the growing crisis.
Some 45,000 extra police have been placed on the streets night after night, but this has. Not stopped further trouble in cities and towns from Paris to Marseille.
The worst disorder on Sunday was in the southern port city, where police fired tear gas and fought street battles with youths.
The officer responsible for shooting Mr Merzouk – identified as Florian M., 38 – remains on remand having been charged with murder.
Among those calling for calm over the weekend was France and Paris St Germain football star Kylian Mbappé, who said ‘the violence must end’.
A leaked police intelligence report described officers as being ‘at war with savage hordes of vermin’.
Two police unions threatened a revolt unless Emmanuel Macron’s government restored order.
‘Today the police are in combat because we are at war,’ says the report. ‘Tomorrow we will enter resistance and the government should be aware of.’
