Violent clashes sweep France over teen’s killing, unrest spread to overseas territories

New Delhi: Unrest and riots-like situations have continued in France for the fourth consecutive day. Now, tension has spread in the French Caribbean territories as locals protest after a teenager was shot dead in a fatal police shooting in a Paris suburb on Tuesday, France 24 reported.

France 24 is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris.

With the looting, fires, and firing of fireworks, Paris and its suburbs were plagued on Thursday by a new incident of violence after the death of the teenager 17, identified as Nal after being stopped for a traffic violation in the Paris suburb town of Nanterre on Tuesday. The officer who is accused of shooting him was taken to jail.

The worst violence so far was in French Guiana, where authorities said that the police officers came under fire and that a stray bullet killed a 54-year-old government worker late Thursday in the capital, Cayenne.

Columns of thick black smoke rose above some neighbourhoods in Cayenne, turning streets hazy as police tried to quell protesters in the small territory on the shoulder of South America. Authorities urged calm as the territory braced for another possible night of rioting, according to France 24.

Officials said Friday that the man who was killed worked in the government’s mosquito control office and was on his balcony when he was hit by the bullet.

On Friday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that 270 more people were arrested, 80 of them in Marseille.

During the day, the Minister of the Interior announced the “exceptional” mobilization of 45,000 police and gendarmes to avoid a fourth consecutive night of riots, CNN reported.

Amid burning debris, “vengeance pour Nael” which translates to “revenge for Nael” appeared to be spray painted on a wall in Nanterre with regards to the slain teenager and using an alternative spelling of his name, the report said.

A bank was set on fire in Nanterre and 15 people were taken in by police for questioning after a march was carried out in memory of the teenager became violent. Protesters threw fireworks at police officers in Marseille, CNN reported citing BFMTV. Six people were taken by police for questioning after they took part in a protest barred by authorities in Lille, the regional authority in a Facebook post, CNN reported.