According to The New York Times, demonstrations in France, which started in reaction to the killing of a 17-year-old by a police officer, persisted for a fifth consecutive night. Law enforcement authorities apprehended hundreds of individuals across the country during Saturday night, and clashes between protesters and police officers equipped with riot gear occurred.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Twitter that 427 individuals were apprehended during the Saturday night protests. The previous day, over 1,300 people had been detained in France. As per The New York Times report, 45,000 police officers were deployed across the country on Saturday evening, a figure comparable to the previous night. A government minister stated that the situation was comparatively more peaceful than in recent nights. However, local media reported incidents of rioting, looting, and clashes taking place in Marseille. Gerald Darmanin noted that the number of officers deployed across the nation was not increased and added that more officers were sent to control protesters in Lyon, Grenoble, and Marseille, The New York Times reported. Tensions remained high in France after the funeral of the 17-year-old by a police officer on Tuesday in Nanterre.
The funeral of a French teen, whose shooting by police provoked violent protests across the nation, was held after more than 1300 people were detained overnight on Saturday, CNN reported. The service was held at a mosque in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, on Saturday afternoon local time. Mounia, the mother of the teenager who was shot dead, told France 5 on Friday that she alone held the cop who shot her son, Nahel Merzouk, accountable for his demise.