French Interior Minister: probe underway into recent violent unrest in Paris suburb
PARIS (Reuters) – A probe has been launched into latest violent unrest within the Paris suburb of Sevran, mentioned French Inside Minister Gerald Darmanin on Tuesday, throughout which police got here below assault from youths.
The difficulty in Sevran comes with the French presidential election lower than two weeks away, wherein fears over violent crime, racial tensions and terrorism will characteristic excessive amongst voters’ issues.
“An inquiry is underway regarding the intervention of police final Saturday afternoon in Sevran. Following violence and acts of vandalism, 16 arrests have been made through the weekend and police apprehended 13 individuals yesterday night,” mentioned Darmanin on his Twitter account.
Stephane Blanchet, who’s the mayor for Sevran which lies to the north-east of Paris, wrote on his Twitter account that hassle had first damaged out through the weekend after an area man, aged 33, died after being shot by police.
French media reviews mentioned the police had opened fireplace on him after chasing him on suspicion of getting stolen a automobile.
Photographs posted on social media confirmed youths clashing with police through the weekend and into the beginning of this week.
France’s ‘banlieues’ – high-rise housing estates on the outskirts of main cities – have lengthy been flashpoints of anger over social and financial grievances. In 2005, unrest lasted three weeks after two youths died fleeing police in one other northern Paris suburb.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Enhancing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)