Violence erupted in the city of Marseille, France as law enforcement authorities took measures to disperse crowds, deploying additional officers to restore order. The city witnessed intense clashes, captured in numerous videos circulating on social media platforms, BBC reports.
The footage showcased groups of police donning riot gear and carrying shields, swiftly moving through the city center, at times sprinting to control the situation.
Multiple videos highlighted instances of tear gas being deployed by the police, with one particularly striking scene capturing a law enforcement officer hurling a tear gas canister. In a concerning development, demonstrators were seen throwing projectiles at the police, escalating the confrontations.
Metadata analysis indicated that the videos were recorded within the last few hours. Several videos depicted the same scene from different angles, documenting the police's progression along the Canebière, a major street in the city center. These circulating videos shared on social media provided a glimpse into the anticipation of further clashes among the residents of Marseille.
Footage from Snapchat revealed shop owners on the bustling Rue Saint-Ferréol, one of the city's primary shopping districts, taking precautions by boarding up their storefronts with large sheets of wood. The proximity of this street to the Centre Commercial Bourse was significant, as earlier reports from the BBC confirmed clashes between demonstrators and police in that area.
One video captured a man using a drill to secure a substantial plywood sheet to the front of his shop, while neighboring businesses, including a Dr Martens outlet, had already fortified their premises. Meanwhile, another clip exhibited heavily armed riot police patrolling a nearby street, heightening tensions in the vicinity.
Further footage depicted a significant column of police vans entering the city, indicating a reinforced police presence. Reports emerged of groups attempting to loot shops along the Canebière, one of Marseille's main shopping streets.
Local media report that the police conducted a total of 14 arrests in the city thus far. Of the 14 individuals apprehended, seven were caught red-handed stealing from a store in a shopping center, while others were thwarted by the police while trying to break into the Canebière fire station, as reported by BFMTV.
As tensions remain high, Marseille continues to grapple with the challenges of restoring calm and maintaining public safety amidst the ongoing clashes.
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