On July 2, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron chaired a meeting of the operational headquarters with members of the cabinet of ministers, and on July 4, he will meet with the mayors of the affected communities.
Previously, even the grandmother of the teenager killed by a police officer called for calm, after which the riots began. The call was heard as the sixth night of unrest was much calmer than the previous one and 157 people were detained.
On July 2 , at night, there were over 700 arrests. The attack on the house of the mayor of a small Paris suburb caused widespread outrage as the official's wife and child were injured.
The unrest in France has raised concerns abroad. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern about the situation the day after President Emmanuel Macron postponed his visit to Germany.
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany:
"We are good friends with France. We work as a team, we work together, especially when it comes to our common future - the European Union - and that it functions well. That's why we look at what is happening with concern. I very much hope, and I am certainly convinced that the President of France will quickly find solutions to improve the situation."
During the night of July 2, approximately 45,000 gendarmes and police officers were deployed to maintain public order in the country. While there were a few minor incidents and clashes with law enforcement reported, one unfortunate event involved the death of a 24-year-old firefighter who lost his life while extinguishing a vehicle set ablaze by assailants.
Meanwhile, a controversy is unfolding regarding the fundraising efforts aimed at supporting the police officer involved in the shooting incident resulting in the death of 17-year-old Nael. The officer has been under investigation for murder since June 27. Following the incident, the former press secretary of presidential candidate Eric Zemmura organised a fundraising campaign to assist the accused officer and his family. As of now, the campaign has raised over 800,000 euros.
However, the initiative has faced criticism from various politicians, particularly those belonging to left-wing parties, who consider it scandalous and shameless. Olivier Faure, the first secretary of the Socialist Party, called for an end to the fundraising activities.
Vous hébergez une cagnotte de la honte @gofundme . Vous entretenez une fracture déjà béante en participant au soutien d’un policier mis en examen pour homicide volontaire. Clôturez !
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) July 2, 2023
Simultaneously, the Parisian police prefect, Laurent Nunez, has chosen not to provide any commentary on the matter, while the police union has expressed understanding towards the initiative.
Jean-Christophe Couvy, the national secretary of the SGP Police FO union, stated on BFM TV that when a police officer becomes subject to an investigation, they often have to handle matters themselves. As a result, it is not uncommon for colleagues and friends of the officer to spontaneously decide to support the officer's family.
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