France Unrest: Rioting Continues For Fourth Night; Pride Event In Marseille Called Off

In response to the ongoing violence, France's president Emmanuel Macron convened a crisis meeting on 30 June. Post this, he announced plans to increase the number of deployed officers to quell the violence.

He, however, refrained from declaring a state of emergency in the country.

Many French cities have witnessed three consecutive nights of rioting and arson following the tragic death of Nahel M, a 17-year-old who was killed while attempting to flee a traffic stop.

Government officials disclosed that over 915 arrests were made on the night of 29 June alone. In an effort to regain control, the government unveiled a plan to deploy 45,000 police officers.

The President himself highlighted that some of those involved in the riots were young individuals, including minors as young as 13, as confirmed by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

Consequently, he emphasised the importance of parental responsibility, urging parents to ensure that their children remain at home instead of participating in the riots. Additionally, the president called upon social media giants, including platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, to promptly remove "highly sensitive content" that has been shared.

The above comments of Macron led to his criticism and trolling on social media. Critics alleged that Macron was ignoring the real cause of the unrest.

Meanwhile, Macron denounced the exploitation of Nahel's death as a justification for acts of violence, labeling it as "unacceptable".

While rioting was reported to have reduced in Paris over the last 24 hours, Marseilles in the south appears to have become the new epicentre for violence.

Notably, a Pride event scheduled to be held in Marseille on Saturday (1 July) has been called off.