In France, 719 people were arrested on Saturday evening and the night from Saturday to Sunday. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter that the night had passed more peacefully than the previous one, “thanks to resolute action by the police.”
Just like in the night from Friday to Saturday, when more than 1300 arrests were made, Darmanin had deployed 45,000 police officers. As in previous nights, riots broke out in many major cities. In most places, according to French media, it became quieter during the night.
Weapons
Of the more than seven hundred arrests, 194 took place in Paris and the surrounding area. On Saturday evening, a large group of demonstrators had gathered in the shopping street Champs-Élysées, where many shopkeepers had boarded up their windows as a precaution. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested and weapons were also seized.
In Marseille, the second largest city in France, the atmosphere was “agitated” on Saturday evening, according to the police. Officers used tear gas during a confrontation with a group of protesters on the main street. Around midnight, authorities announced that it was becoming quieter in the southern French city. The French news channel BFMTV reports that 65 arrests took place in Marseille.
Looting and plundering
In the city of Nice, a confrontation took place between the police and demonstrators who had set a large fire. The mayor of Nice confirmed late Saturday evening that the center of the city had been looted by “a gang of youths.” They would have been arrested on the basis of video images.
According to Darmanin, more than 200 police officers have been injured since the unrest began on Tuesday. In the night from Saturday to Sunday there were 45. According to him, 2000 vehicles went up in flames during the riots. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that more than 700 businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants and bank branches have been “raided, looted and sometimes burnt down.”
On Saturday, 17-year-old Nahel was buried in Nanterre, France. The death of the boy has sparked unrest in France. Nahel, of Algerian descent, was shot dead by a police officer on Tuesday.