Multicultural Powder Keg: French Protests Enter Fifth Day... "Losses Exceed 140 Billion Won"

Violent Protests Over Police Shooting Death of Teenager
Macron's Pension Reform Chaos Continues, Shaking Diplomacy as Well

Violent protests have continued for the fifth day across France following the death of a teenage boy from an African immigrant family who was shot by police while fleeing a crackdown. As arson and looting persist and major events are repeatedly canceled, the economic losses from the unrest are expected to exceed 140 billion won.

Bloomberg reported on the 2nd (local time) that the turmoil triggered by pension reform and the public's frustration over high inflation have erupted simultaneously, raising concerns that the protests could escalate into a "second George Floyd" incident.

President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting that evening with Prime Minister ?lisabeth Borne and the ministers of the interior and justice. As the protests spread, he postponed a state visit to Germany scheduled for the first time in 23 years, with the report noting that the unrest is becoming a political and diplomatic burden for President Macron.

As the violent protests spread nationwide, economic damage is also increasing. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stated the previous day, "So far, 10 shopping malls, over 200 supermarkets, and more than 250 bank branches have been attacked or looted." According to insurance companies' estimates, the economic losses from the unrest are expected to exceed 100 million euros (approximately 143.9 billion won).

As the riots worsen, French luxury group Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy (LVMH) canceled the Celine fashion show scheduled in Paris that day, and numerous cultural events such as concerts have also been canceled or postponed, suggesting that the scale of losses will grow further.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The protests in France, which began in Nanterre and spread nationwide, were sparked by the death of a 17-year-old Algerian boy known as Nael, who was shot by police while fleeing after being stopped for a traffic violation on the 27th of last month. The incident spread on social media.

Violent protests that started in downtown Nanterre on the 28th, the day after Nael's death, have spread across France, continuing for the fifth day with 719 arrests overnight. Protesters engaged in violent demonstrations, setting fires to police officers, public institution buildings, and shops, prompting authorities to deploy 45,000 police officers on the streets in response.

The government reported that 45 police officers were injured nationwide, with 577 vehicles and 74 buildings set on fire. In Paris, six buildings were damaged, five police officers were injured, and 315 people were arrested.

In the southern Paris suburb of La Courneuve, around 1:30 a.m., a car crashed into the mayor's residence and caught fire. The mayor's wife, who was evacuating, suffered a broken leg, and one child was also injured. Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of La Courneuve and a member of the conservative Republican Party, stated in a press release, "They set fire to the house, attempting to kill the family sleeping upstairs, but the car caught fire."

The number of injured protesters has not been disclosed. The Associated Press reported that a man in his 50s was killed by a stray bullet in French Guiana. In Marseille, the largest city in southern France where clashes were most intense, police used tear gas and arrested about 50 people. Due to rising public safety concerns caused by the protests, curfews have been imposed in Marseille and other areas at night.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.