France, protests continue for 5th day... Grandmother of deceased boy urges halt to demonstrations

Over 3,000 People Arrested So Far
Fake News Spreads Amid Unstable Atmosphere

Violent protests have continued for the fifth day across France following the death of a teenage boy of Algerian descent who was shot by the police.

On the 2nd (local time), according to AP News and others, the French government announced that 719 people were arrested overnight. Although this number is lower than the approximately 1,300 arrests made the previous day, the total number of arrests so far exceeds 3,000.

On the 2nd (local time), according to AP News and others, the French government announced that 719 people were arrested overnight. This is significantly fewer than the approximately 1,300 arrests made the previous day. The total number of people arrested so far exceeds 3,000.
[Photo by AP and Yonhap News]

The French government reported that 45 police officers were injured nationwide, and 577 vehicles and 74 buildings were set on fire. In the southern city of La Rochelle, a car crashed into the mayor’s house around 1:30 a.m., causing a fire; the mayor’s wife, who was evacuating, suffered a broken leg, and one child was also injured.

In the northern city of Lille, a health center was completely destroyed by fire. In Paris, six buildings were damaged, five police officers were injured, and 315 people were arrested. In Marseille, a major city in southern France where clashes were most intense, police used tear gas and arrested about 50 people. The number of injured protesters has not been disclosed.

As the protests escalated into riots, Nadia, the grandmother of Nael, urged for an end to the demonstrations in an interview with French BFM TV on the same day. Nadia said, "They are using Nael as an excuse, and we hope the situation calms down," adding, "My grandson is dead, and my daughter is lost."

President Macron: "SNS Fuels the Riots"

Amid the tense atmosphere, fake news is also spreading. The French police stated that reports circulating on social networking services (SNS) about internet restrictions in certain areas are false. Additionally, images showing youths who appeared to be rioters driving a police van and brandishing guns were found to be scenes from a movie produced last year. This photo was posted on Twitter on the same day and was viewed over 1.7 million times.

French President Emmanuel Macron criticized social media for fueling violence, stating, "We cannot tolerate the exploitation of the deaths of young people," amid a series of riots across France.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, criticized the ongoing riots across the country, saying, "We cannot tolerate the exploitation of a young person's death," and accused SNS of inciting violence.

He also revealed that one-third of the protesters are very young and urged parents to take responsibility. The French government stated the previous day that 30% of those arrested had an average age of 17. Neighboring countries such as the United Kingdom and other European nations have advised avoiding areas affected by the protests when visiting France.

President Macron is scheduled to hold a meeting in the evening with the Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Justice Minister to discuss countermeasures.

Meanwhile, the police officer who shot Nael is in custody and is under formal investigation for murder charges. His lawyer stated that the officer initially aimed at Nael’s leg, but ended up shooting his chest when the car moved and collided.

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