France has been caught in a wave of violent protests that refuses to die down. The protests have been burning the country after the death of a 17-year-old due to excessive force used by police on June 27. A police officer shot Nahel near Paris. As per reports, Nahel was driving a car when he was shot at a traffic stop. He died from a single shot through his left arm and chest.

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Protests in France: Top updates 

While the French riots continued to go on for a fifth day, here are some updates on the heat that has raised concerns far and wide.

  • At least 78 people were reportedly arrested across France on the fifth night of unrest, including 20 in Paris. On the early morning of July 2, a provisional tally of 719 arrests overnight, compared with 1,300 seen on the night of June 30, was announced by the French Interior Ministry.
  • Nahel’s family and friends gathered for his funeral on July 1 in Paris. A crowd was seen at the mosque where the ceremony was held.
  • Nahel’s grandmother has asked for an end to the violence. She told BFM TV, “Nahel is dead. My daughter is lost…she doesn’t have a life anymore…Don’t destroy the schools, don’t destroy the buses…I’m telling them [the rioters] to stop.”
  • Amid the protests, an alleged attack was carried out on a bus carrying Chinese tourists in the city of Marseille. As per DW News, China has filed a complaint against the attack with France. China’s Consulate General in Marseille filed a complaint alleging that the rioters smashed the bus’ windows and caused some minor injuries.
  • The unrest also pulled in an attack on a French mayor’s home by young protestors.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a state visit to Germany that was to commence on Sunday. He spoke with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and discussed the situation with him and briefed him about it, a spokesperson Steinmeier said.
  • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the country was watching the French unrest “with concern”. He added that he was confident French President Macron will successfully calm the situation down. “I don’t expect that France will become unstable, even if the images, of course, are very distressing,” he said.
  • France’s neighbouring nations, Switzerland and Belgium also saw unrest in line with the violence in France. In Switzerland’s Lausanne, several shop windows were smashed while police officers dispersed youth throwing paving stones and Molotov cocktail. In Belgium too a dozen people were detained in Brussels and several fires had to be brought under control.

(With Agency Inputs)