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Emergency Meeting As France Burns

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

PARIS (Worthy News) – France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, and government ministers held an emergency meeting in Paris as riots across the nation escalated into the worst French crisis in years.

As their talks began, Macron said 492 buildings were damaged, 2,000 vehicles burned, and 3,880 fires were started overnight. At least 875 people were detained as clashes between police and protesters in France continued for a third night, authorities said.

In Paris, the capital, shops were ransacked and cars set on fire despite a heavy police presence, eyewitnesses said.

The unrest began on Tuesday after police shot dead a 17-year-old boy of Algerian and Moroccan descent named Nahel M as he drove away from a traffic stop.

The detained officer who allegedly shot Nahel later apologized to the family. He has been charged with voluntary homicide, and his lawyer said he was “devastated” over the shooting.

Nahel’s death revived grievances about reported police abuse and racial profiling in France’s suburbs, where many migrants live.

While Macron made clear he understood the frustration, he condemned the protest violence as “unjustifiable.”

And Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said “all options” were on the table when asked if a state of emergency was being considered.

Yet not all local authorities awaited the central government’s response, with the southern city of Marseille banning public demonstrations.

All public transport in Marseille, the country’s second-largest city, will also stop as of 19:00 local time Friday, local officials said. But with smoke rising over several parts of France, doubts remained when and if these measures would help to restore calm to the riots-stricken nation.