France violence: Leaders work out response to riots, victim's grandmother calls for end to unrest

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Sporadic violence in France continued for a fifth night in a row

Violence continued for a fifth straight night in France. A heavy police presence was seen on the Champs Elysees. Sporadic rioting occurred in parts of Paris, Marseille and Nice. (Reuters)

French officials are scrambling to restore order as the country endured a sixth night of unrest sparked by the death of 17-year-old Nahel, who was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop.

Nahel’s grandmother, identified only as Nadia, pleaded on Sunday for riots to cease, and told French news broadcaster BFM TV, "Don’t break windows, buses…schools. We want to calm things down."

While Nahel’s grandmother said she was angry at the officer who killed the teenager, she was not upset with police overall, expressing faith that the justice system would come through, even as the country endures its biggest social upheaval in years.

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A group of police officers walk during a protest in Nanterre, outside Paris, France, Saturday, July 1, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and proposed restrictions on social media to quell rioting spreading across France over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Nahel was buried on Saturday.

Because of the upheaval, French President Emmanuel Macron delayed a visit to Germany on Sunday evening. The trip would have been the first time a French president had made a state visit to Germany in 23 years.

The interior ministry said police arrested 49 people on Sunday, according to the Associated Press, a steep drop from 719 on Saturday. Over 3,000 people have been detained since a mass security deployment.

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Firefighters use a water hose on a burnt bus in Nanterre, outside Paris, France, Saturday, July 1, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and proposed restrictions on social media to quell rioting spreading across France over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

On Sunday, a burning vehicle drove into the home of Paris suburb L ’Hay-les-Roses mayor Vincent Jeanbrun at about 1:30 a.m., injuring his wife and one of his children while they were sleeping.

At the time of the incident, the mayor was monitoring the violence from town hall.

Jeanbrun said the attack showed a new stage of "horror and ignominy" in the riots.

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Firefighters extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of Nahel, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, France, June 28. (REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq)

A regional prosecutor opened an investigation into the attack for attempted murder and told French television the preliminary investigation suggests a bottle of flame accelerant was found in the vehicle, which was meant to hit the house and set it on fire.

Although the arrest numbers were significantly down on Sunday, Macron reportedly met with prime minister Elisabeth Borne, interior minister Gérald Darmanin and justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti on Sunday night to come up with a response to the violent protests, according to Bloomberg, as the protests continue to test his ability to carry out actions as the leader of the country.

The French president has blamed social media for fueling the violent protests, and Dupond-Moretti has reportedly warned young people who share calls for violence on Snapchat or other social media apps could face prosecution.

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Earlier this weekend, Macron called an emergency meeting of the National Assembly to decide how to handle the protests, eventually deploying 45,000 officers and armored vehicles. Initially, law enforcement agencies only sent around 9,000 officers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.