French mayors call on people to unite against riots |=> Published in Bac Giang newspaper

French mayors have called on citizens and elected officials to gather at town halls across the country on July 3 to protest against the violent protests that have lasted nearly a week.

The unusual call for people to help restore order came as rioting and looting continued for a fifth consecutive night, following the police shooting dead 17-year-old Nahel M. for failing to obey traffic orders on June 26.

A building set on fire by protesters in Roubaix, northern France on June 30, 2023.

Finding a way to address this issue has now become one of the biggest challenges facing President Emmanuel Macron since he took office in 2017.

The Interior Ministry said that 45,000 police and gendarmes were deployed nationwide from July 1 to 3, the same level as the previous two nights. The ministry also said that as of 1:30 a.m. local time on July 3, a further 78 people had been arrested in connection with the nationwide unrest.

Earlier, on July 2, in an interview with BFM television over the phone, Nahel's grandmother called for everyone to stay calm and stop all acts of rioting. She said that the rioters were only using her grandchild's sad incident as an "excuse".

Speaking to reporters during a recent visit to L'Hay-les-Roses, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that the situation had generally calmed down compared to previous days. However, Prime Minister Borne stressed that the arson at the house of Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun was particularly shocking. She called on the authorities to impose the strictest penalties on those who carried out this attack.

The latest unrest has raised concerns in many countries as France is set to host the Rugby World Cup this fall and the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024. President Macron postponed a visit to Germany, which was scheduled to begin on July 2, due to the situation in his country. He also chaired an emergency meeting of ministers to prevent a crisis.

The French leader is scheduled to meet with the heads of both houses of Parliament on July 3. A day later, he will meet with the leaders of more than 220 towns affected by the riots.