Nation on Edge: Violence and Devastation on French Streets

France has already seen several consecutive nights of political unrest and violence that followed the death of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent, Nahel Merzouk, who was shot by police during a traffic stop on June 27. Details of the incident are controversial, but according to a witness (the passenger of the car), officers bullied and threatened the teenager before putting a bullet through his head.

Despite the fact that the alleged killer was quickly put under investigation over charges of voluntary homicide, violent protests erupted in France, soon escalating into rioting and looting. Protesters have burnt down administrative buildings and set over 3,800 cars on fire. Moreover, nearly 250 bank offices, 200 stores and about ten shopping malls were looted. Over 3,000 people were detained, including youngsters.

French authorities are yet to provide any roadmap out of this crisis. Emmanuel Macron has blamed video games for the street violence - and was immediately mocked for his "level of analysis".

Follow Sputnik's photo gallery to see the aftermath of the riots!

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A burnt out vehicle stands on a street in front of the fire-damaged Tessi group building in the Alma district of Roubaix.

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Cleaning and security contractors examine a damaged window of a Caisse d'Epargne bank in the centre of Marseille, southern France.

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A police officer stands by a car which is upside down on a street following a fourth consecutive night of rioting in France.

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Employees gesture in a damaged and looted clothing shop, with "sales" written on placards in the background in the centre of Marseille, southern France.

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Emergency personnel survey the scene of a burnt out building - which housed a pharmacy - in Montargis, some 100kms south of Paris.

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A pedestrian (L) looks at an employee (R) entering in a looted shop.

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Burnt cars line the street at the foot of the Pablo Picasso estate in Nanterre, west of Paris.

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Municipal police officers stand in front of the damaged home of the Mayor of l'Hay-les-Roses Vincent Jeanbrun in a suburb of Paris after rioters rammed a vehicle into the building injuring the mayor's wife and one of his children.

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The partially damaged Town Hall of Persan, some 40kms north of Paris.

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A pedestrian walks past a damaged and burnt merchandise truck near an Aldi store in the Les Flamants neighbourhood, in the north of Marseille, southern France.