According to AFP, as of July 2nd, violent protests in France had entered their fifth consecutive day. Although the level of violence showed signs of decreasing, French security forces still had to make hundreds of arrests of rioters. The French Interior Ministry confirmed that the number of arrests had risen to 719. Earlier reports indicated that a total of more than 1,300 rioters had been arrested in the mass unrest on the night of July 1st.

Riot police were present to prevent violent protests in Caen, France. Photo: NBC News.

The AFP news agency also quoted Vincent Jeanbrun, the leader of the town of L'Hay-les-Roses on the outskirts of Paris, as describing the violence on the night of July 1st as escalating to a horrific level. Sharing on Twitter, Jeanbrun said that the rioters even rammed a car into his house before setting it on fire while his family was sleeping, injuring his wife and children.

Violent protests erupted in many parts of France on June 27th following the police shooting death of a 17-year-old who disobeyed orders and attempted to flee a traffic stop in the suburbs of Paris. In many places, rioters attacked infrastructure, looted shops, burned cars, and clashed with security forces. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that from the night of July 1st to the morning of July 2nd, approximately 45,000 security personnel were deployed to various locations to prevent violence. Areas experiencing particularly intense violence, such as Lyon, Grenoble, and Marseille, saw increased security forces and equipment. Despite this, looting continued in these cities.

The escalating violence and protests have forced French President Emmanuel Macron to postpone his planned state visit to Germany, originally scheduled for July 2-4. According to a statement from the German President's office, Macron spoke by phone with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier about the protests in France and requested a postponement of the visit. Prior to this, Macron had also prematurely ended his participation in the European Union (EU) summit in Brussels, Belgium, to return home and chair a meeting concerning the security situation. President Macron stated that exploiting the death of a teenager to incite riots is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, shortly after the violent protests erupted, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the cancellation of large-scale events nationwide. Tram and bus services were also forced to shut down from the night of June 30th due to being targeted by violent attacks. As the protests continued into a third consecutive night, Borne declared that the French government was considering all measures to restore order, including declaring a state of emergency. An aide to Borne revealed that the French government was prepared to implement security measures "without exception."

However, it remains unclear whether French authorities will consider and impose tougher measures to address the ongoing unrest in the country.

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