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French Unrest Over Police Brutality: Whole Country in Flames

Violent protests have erupted across France following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a Parisian suburb. The officer involved in the shooting is under investigation and has been placed in custody.
Sputnik
The incident has sparked outrage and led to confrontations between protesters and police. Almost a thousand of people have been arrested, and hundreds of officers have been injured in clashes with angry crowds.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron left the EU summit in Brussels and canceled his press conference, heading instead to a government crisis meeting on the ongoing unrest in France.
French Minister Delegate of Cities and Housing Olivier Klein said that the French authorities do not exclude the introduction of a state of emergency due to the unrest.
In response, the French interior minister has deployed 40,000 police officers to maintain order and prevent further violence. The police chief in Nanterre has publicly stated that the use of a weapon in the incident that led to the 17-year-old’s death was not justified, leading to a murder investigation.
The protests have already had significant consequences on the affected towns and cities. Burned cars, damaged buildings, and debris are visible signs of the unrest that has unfolded.
Check out Sputnik's gallery to see the violent protests in France:
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Firefighters douse the flames of a building set on fire during protests in Roubaix, northern France, three days after a teenager was shot dead during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

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Mounia, the mother of Nahel, a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman, waves a light flare as she stands atop a truck during a commemoration march for her son.

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Attendees take part in a commemoration march for a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman, in the Pablo Picasso area of the Parisian suburb of Nanterre.

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French firefighters extinguish burning vehicles following protests in Nanterre, west of Paris, a day after a 17-year-old boy was shot.

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A protester clashes with police during a commemoration march for a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman, in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre.

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A photopraph shows a car burning on the street as clashes erupted at the end of a commemoration march for a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman.

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This photograph taken on June 29, 2023 in Clamart, southwest of Paris, shows a burnt tram following violence and protests in the suburb the previous night in reaction to the shooting of a 17-year-old boy.

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Nahel's grand-mother Nadia takes part in a commemoration march for the teenager, who was shot dead by a policeman.

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Fireworks explode as policemen stand by during protests in Roubaix, northern France.

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This photograph shows a burnt and destroyed room inside the L'Ile-Saint-Denis city hall, north of Paris.

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A protester climbs on a building during clashes that broke out after a commemoration march for a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman.

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Police stand by as fireworks explode in the Cite Pablo Picasso area of Nanterre, north-west of Paris.

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A police officer from the anti-crime brigade (BAC) arrests a protester during clashes that broke out after a commemoration march.

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Burning cars during riots in Nanterre, France.

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