The French government said Sunday that hundreds more had been arrested in a fifth night of rioting sparked by the police killing of a 17-year-old, as police deployed reinforcements to flashpoint cities around the country.
Protesters, mostly minors, have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police in an outpouring of rage since an officer shot Nahel M point blank as he attempted to flee a traffic stop on Tuesday.
The killing was captured on video, which spread on social media and fueled the anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France.
A day after Nahel was laid to rest in his home town near Paris, the interior ministry said police had made 719 arrests overnight, still a provisional tally, after around 1,300 the previous night.
Some 45 police officers or gendarmes were injured, 577 vehicles torched, 74 buildings set on fire, and 871 fires set in streets and other public spaces, it said.
While nationwide numbers suggested an overall decline in tension across the country, police still recorded a number of incidents.
The mayor of a town south of Paris said rioters had rammed a car into his home, injuring his wife and one of his children, and set a fire.—AFP
