Rioters rammed a car into the home of a mayor in southern Paris before setting it on fire while his wife and children were sleeping.
Protesters chased Melanie Nowak and her two children behind the house and into the garden as the family tried to escape, in the latest example of fierce violence gripping France.
The mother suffered a serious leg fracture after trying to push her children over the wall that separates her garden from her neighbour’s backyard and was recovering in hospital on Sunday morning. One of the children was also injured.
Vincent Jeanbrun, the mayor of L’Haÿ-les-Roses, a suburb south of Paris, said the attack on his family was an “assassination attempt”.
“Last night, a milestone was reached in horror and ignominy,” said Mr Jeanbrun, who is also the spokesman for the conservative Republican party.
The incident took place on the fifth night of nationwide unrest, as France witnessed more vandalism, pillaging, fires and clashes with police.
The country has been rocked by riots after the police killing of Nahel Merbouz, 17, a French teenager of North African descent last week, who was shot at point blank range during a traffic stop.
Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, on Sunday praised authorities for their “resolute action” which had led to a “calmer night”.
On Saturday evening, police made 719 arrests throughout France, compared to 1,311 arrests made the night before.
Mr Darmanin promised justice for Mr Jeanbrun and his family, “victims of a cowardly and terrible attack”.
“An investigation for attempted murder has been opened and significant resources of the judicial police are mobilised. The perpetrators of these facts will answer for their heinous acts,” he tweeted.
The government said the violence had “lessened” compared to previous nights, but the interior ministry still reported 1,311 arrests nationwide overnight.
It was the highest number on any night since the protests began Tuesday, sparked by the death of 17-year-old Nahel M. by a police bullet. The teenager had a long criminal record and was known to police.
Provisional ministry numbers released early Saturday said 1,350 vehicles and 234 buildings had been torched overnight, and there had been 2,560 incidents of fire set in public spaces.
The ministry also said 79 police or gendarmes had been injured.
The clashes continued despite France deploying 45,000 officers, more than on any night since the start of the protests, backed by light armored vehicles and elite police units.
They were unable to stop looting in the cities of Marseille, Lyon, and Grenoble, with bands of often-hooded rioters pillaging shops.
Never, ever, should had tied the hands of policing the Arabs that refused to assimilate in surrounding communities in the first place; would had avoided most of current issues, IMO!
ReplyDeleteWhy is it, we know those in charge allowed criminal fractions to set up camp, and devour or plunder innocent cities, people, communities?
Round them up and drop them back in ME, USA need do same to Criminal illegal cartels roosting here in USA; We have idiots, wrote it, tis my opinion, we have idiots following some idiotic plan, and need expelled from their post, in my opinion! The Governments are worthless, therefore, need revamped, IMO!
The good people of France have been living in fear for years while the leaders have their ivory towers, now a leader knows what it is like to be afraid for your family while you are at work.
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