STORY: Riots and protests hit France for a fifth night on Saturday, after the funeral of a teenager who was shot dead on Tuesday by an officer – though the scenes appeared less intense than the days before.
The biggest flashpoint was in Marseille, where police fired tear gas and fought street battles with young people around the city center late into the night.
It came as the authorities sent some 45,000 police to guard France’s streets, with specialized elite units, armored vehicles and helicopters brought in to reinforce its three largest cities – Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
In the early hours of Sunday, the situation was calmer than the past four nights, but cars could still be seen overturned and on fire in Paris, with people seen trying to kick down boarded up shop facades.
Tuesday’s shooting of 17-year-old Nahel, who was of North African descent, was caught on video.
It reignited longstanding complaints of police violence and racism among the country’s racially mixed and poor communities.
The nationwide unrest that followed has forced President Emmanuel Macron to postpone a state visit to Germany.
It’s the worst crisis for Macron’s leadership since the so-called “Yellow Vest” protests paralyzed much of France in late 2018.
He also faced months of anger and sometimes violent protests across the country earlier this year, after pushing through a pension overhaul.
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