French streets relatively calm, fewer arrests over riots

France's interior ministry said on Monday (July 3) that less than 160 people were arrested overnight in connection with the nationwide riots that erupted after the police shooting of 17-year-oldNahel, a teenager of North African descent.

The relative calm has followed five nights of heavy riots. The decrease in violence has given some relief to President Emmanuel Macron's government which is fighting hard to regain control of the situation in the country. The recent spate of rioting has come just months after widespread protests over an unpopular pension reform and a year out from hosting the Olympics.

Nahel's death has made longstanding complaints of discrimination resurface. Minorities and rights groups also complain about police violence and systemic racism within law enforcement. Authorities deny such allegations.

Watch | France Riots: Country remains tense, though number of incidents drop

Nahel was shot last Tuesday. Since then, the violence has seen rioters torching cars, and looting stores. Town halls and other properties have been targeted as well.

There have been flashpoints in cities including Paris, Strasbourg, Marseille and Nice.

The government has poured up to 45,000 police officials on the streets each night to control the rioting. The unrest has mostly been confined to the suburbs, but sometimesiconic tourist areas, such as Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue, have been witness to clashes.

The interior ministry said on Monday that 157 people were arrested overnight. The number was down from 700 arrests the night before and over 1,300 on Friday night.

The ministry said that three police officers were injured while 300 vehicles were damaged by fire.

The grandmother of Nahel said on Sunday the rioters were using his death as an excuse to cause havoc and said the family wanted calm.

"I tell them to stop it. It's mothers who take buses, it's mothers who walk outside. We should calm things, we don't want them to break things," the woman identified on BFM TV as Nadia said. "Nahel is dead, that's all there is."

Worst crisis since 'Yellow Vest'

The latest riots are the worst crisis for the Macron government since the "Yellow Vest" protests in 2018. The protests over fuel prices had gripped much of France.

Macron gave himself 100 days in April to bring reconciliation and unity to the country after strikes and sporadicviolent street protests over his raising the retirement age.

In the wake of the latest protests, Macron postponed a state visit to Germany and left an EU summit early. On Tuesday, he will meet leaders of parliament on Monday and more than 220 mayors of towns and cities that have been affected by the riots.

(With inputs from agencies)

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