RULE OF LAWFRANCE
France riots: Macron wants ‘sound answers’ after unrest
4 hours ago4 hours ago
Emmanuel Macron said his government’s task would be to “draw lessons from what happened.” Rioting last month fueled by the killing of a French teenager of Arab descent resulted in looting and violent clashes with police.
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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to his cabinet ministers on Friday
The wave of unrest reignited a debate on law and order as well as racism in France, with Macron revamping his cabinet after the crisisImage: Jean-Baptiste Autissier/ABACAPRESS/IMAGO
French President Emmanuel Macron Friday called upon ministers to draw lessons from riots that shook the nation earlier this month.
There was a “need for authority and respect,” Macron told ministers during a cabinet meeting.
“We must draw lessons from what happened, and provide sound answers,” he said. Macron was speaking after shuffling cabinet ministers on Thursday.
Killing of French teenager highlights nation’s divisions
Macron said nationwide protests following the fatal shooting of a French teenager, Nahel M., highlighted “a risk of fragmentation, of deep division, of the nation.”
17-year-old Nahel was of Algerian descent and was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop at a Paris suburb at the end of June.
A firefighter watches last month as vehicles burn during riots in Nanterre, west of Paris A firefighter watches last month as vehicles burn during riots in Nanterre, west of Paris
The French government is seeking to counter polarization in the country in order to prevent further violenceImage: Zakaria Abdelkafi/AFP
Thousands of people then took the streets every day, with rioters torching cars and targeting police stations and schools, or institutions of the French state.
The French police clamped down on protesters, firing tear gas to dispel crowds and arresting hundreds of people. France also deployed a heavy security presence to stem the unrest.
rm/wd (AFP, Reuters)
