French President Emmanuel Macron has announced an "emergency bill" to speed up the reconstruction of towns affected by riots over the past week following the killing of a 17-year-old at a traffic stop near Paris.
Speaking to around 250 French mayors gathered at the Elysée Palace on Tuesday, Macron said the bill would "eliminate all delays" and speed up reconstruction for the towns which suffered damage after the riots, without specifying when the text would be examined.
He promised support to repair broken video surveillance equipment, as well as financial aid to repair roads, public buildings and schools.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Tuesday the government may allow businesses destroyed by the riots to suspend tax and social security payments as they rebuild.
Maires de France, vous avez le soutien, la reconnaissance et l’estime de la Nation. Vous me trouverez toujours à vos côtés. pic.twitter.com/Iyw7vsoKsL
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 4, 2023
The meeting came as the authorities reported a much calmer night across the country.
"Is it a permanent return to calm?" Macron asked. "I am cautious, but the peak that we've seen in previous days has passed," he said.
"We all want a lasting, republican order ... That's the absolute priority," he added.
Riots and looting
The government has battled riots and looting since 17-year-old Nahel M was killed by an officer during a traffic checkpoint last Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, overnight violence in French cities had halved in 24 hours, with 72 people arrested nationwide on Tuesday.
Interior minister Gérald Darmanin said dozens of buildings were damaged – including attacks on four offices of police or gendarmes – but there were no injuries.
By this Wednesday, that figure was significantly reduced to 16 people arrested and eight buildings burnt or damaged.
#StopMortiers 🧨❌ | Saisie impressionnante par les policiers à #Paris18, Porte de Clignancourt ↩️
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) July 4, 2023
➡️ 300 kilogrammes de mortiers d'artifices découverts dans le coffre d’un vehicule
✅ 3 interpellations
⛔️ les contrôles continuent pic.twitter.com/hG69QRhg2H
More than 150 vehicles were set ablaze, and hundreds of fires started in rubbish bins and in public areas.
Just under 4,000 arrests have been made since Friday – including more than 1,200 minors – according to justice ministry figures.
Police mobilisation had been kept at the same level as the two previous nights, at 45,000 across France.
Mayors rally
Mayors across France held rallies on Monday calling for an end to the violent clashes.
Their call for a "return to republican order" came after the home of the mayor of a Paris suburb, L'Haÿ-les-Roses, was rammed with a burning car, prompting widespread outrage.
In an overnight tweet, Macron thanked police, gendarmes and firefighters for their "extraordinary mobilisation in these recent nights", after meeting with police.
At the gathering of mayors, Macron was hoping to "start the painstaking, long-term work needed to understand the deeper reasons that led to these events", an official at the president's office said.
The French president also opened up a number of longer-term projects, from housing to decentralisation, juvenile justice and education, without going into detail.
(with AFP)
