Fifth night of Paris protests witness arson attacks by demonstrators

By Alaattin Dogru

ANKARA (AA) - Protests that started in Paris after the police killing of a teen earlier this week, entered a fifth straight night Saturday with demonstrators engaging in arson.

Footage on social media depicted protesters setting fires at various locations throughout the city.

Demonstrators launched fireworks at the police while simultaneously setting barricades ablaze in the popular neighborhood of Barbes.

As the iconic Champs-Elysees Avenue once again became crowded with protesters following a recent evacuation, the heightened presence of police forces drew attention.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that the number of individuals detained rose to 80 in protests in Paris.

He also reported that 55 people were held by police in Marseille, where the intensity of the unrest increased.

In Strasbourg, protests reignited, with demonstrators launching fireworks at law enforcement officers.

Special forces units deployed armored vehicles to intervene and quell the unrest.

Protests escalated in Rennes with masked groups throwing fireworks at the police.

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi reported that a store was looted by a "gang of young individuals."

Estrosi said looters were apprehended by police thanks to surveillance cameras.

French broadcaster BFMTV reported that several mayors requested more assistance from the government to restore order.

Police have begun to intervene as demonstrators chant slogans demanding justice for Nael M, 17, of North African descent, who was shot at point-blank range by an officer on Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre

Nearly 2,000 individuals have been arrested, while more than 200 police officers have been injured.

The officer who shot Nahel faces a formal voluntary homicide investigation and has been placed in preliminary detention.