Unrest across France sparked by the police shooting of a 17-year-old has appeared to slow, but public buildings, cars and municipal rubbish bins nationwide were still targeted by fires and vandalism. The Foreign Office has issued travel advice which warns of potential disruption and urges people to be aware of the ongoing situation.
One of the most visited countries in the world, there are concerns about the widespread violence that has followed the shooting of a teenager in the country. Seventeen-year-old Nahel, who was of Algerian descent, was shot in the Paris suburb of Nanterre sparking days of unrest in Paris, Marseilles and Toulouse.
Around 45,000 officers have been deployed nationwide to counter violence fuelled by anger over discrimination against people who trace their roots to former French colonies and live in low-income neighbourhoods.
Across France, 297 vehicles were torched overnight, along with 34 buildings. In all, according to the Interior Ministry, there have 157 arrests, out of a total of 3,354 since June 27, and two police stations were attacked, among other damage.
What is the advice if you are travelling to France right now?
Around 17 million British nationals visit France every year with the vast majority of visits being trouble-free. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued some advice following the riots that started on June 27.
The advice says: "There may be disruptions to road travel and local transport provision may be reduced. Some local authorities may impose curfews. Locations and timing of riots are unpredictable."
- monitor the media
- avoid areas where riots are taking place
- check the latest advice with operators when travelling
- follow the advice of the authorities.
They also added that it is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the FCDO’s guidance on foreign travel insurance.
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed social media for the spread of the unrest and called on parents to take responsibility for their teenagers. Justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told France Inter radio that parents who abdicate that responsibility "either through disinterest or deliberately" will be prosecuted.
Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children were injured and criticised the government for doing too little, too late - and said blaming social media or parents is papering over a bigger problem.
"The base ingredients are still there. For several years now, all summer long, explosives go off that keep people from sleeping, that make them crazy," he told BFM television on Monday. "We are powerless summer after summer."
