Following several nights of intense protests sparked by the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old, Nahel, France witnessed a significant decrease in violence. While earlier nights saw hundreds, even over a thousand arrests, the latest reports from the French Interior Ministry indicate a drop to 157 arrests. This relative calm follows President Emmanuel Macron's deployment of 45,000 police officers nationwide.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin criticized parents for their children's involvement in the destructive activities, noting the average age of those arrested was merely 17, with some as young as 12. He emphasized the role of parental responsibility in preventing such behavior.
Despite the decline in arrests, the night still saw damage to approximately 300 vehicles and injuries to three police officers. The decrease in violence coincided with Nahel's funeral and a plea from his grandmother for an end to the protests.
The widespread unrest led to President Macron postponing a state visit to Germany, a trip that would have been the first by a French president in 23 years. Adding to the turmoil, a burning vehicle was rammed into the home of L’Hay-les-Roses Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun, injuring his wife and child. Jeanbrun, who was at the town hall monitoring the situation, condemned the attack as a new low in the escalating violence.
Information from Fox News' Greg Wehner and Reuters contributed to this report.
