Nahel Merzouk riots

A series of <a href="/facts/Riot/x3wtz4CM">riots</a> in <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">France</a> began on 27 June 2023 following the <a href="/facts/Killing_of_Nahel_Merzouk/e3IxFFkC">fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk</a> in an encounter with two police officers in <a href="/facts/Nanterre/woQ1dLdf">Nanterre</a>, a suburb of <a href="/facts/Paris/DrNHpwnA">Paris</a>. Residents started a <a href="/facts/Protest/XlKeUgBy">protest</a> outside the police headquarters on the 27 June, which later escalated into rioting as demonstrators set cars alight, destroyed bus stops, and shot fireworks at police. In <a href="/facts/Viry-Ch%25C3%25A2tillon/cqfHzSBg">Viry-Châtillon</a>, a town just south of Paris with a history of violence towards police, a group of teenagers set a bus ablaze.
In <a href="/facts/Mantes-la-Jolie/1HAQdx1x">Mantes-la-Jolie</a>, a town 40 km northwest of Paris, the town hall was set ablaze after being <a href="/facts/Firebombed/NeN74JUX">firebombed</a> on the night of 27 June, burning until 03:15 (<a href="/facts/Central_European_Summer_Time/TfpdD0dW">CEST</a>). Clashes continued throughout the night across France, including <a href="/facts/Toulouse/VLBjLxD8">Toulouse</a> and <a href="/facts/Lille/Bu8rsIzA">Lille</a>. Unrest was also reported in <a href="/facts/Asni%25C3%25A8res-sur-Seine/Nbqx73no">Asnières</a>, <a href="/facts/Colombes/jevRgLUc">Colombes</a>, <a href="/facts/Suresnes/88N9olHl">Suresnes</a>, <a href="/facts/Aubervilliers/Fht3tkcY">Aubervilliers</a>, <a href="/facts/Clichy-sous-Bois/tY10XsVm">Clichy-sous-Bois</a> and <a href="/facts/Mantes-la-Jolie/1HAQdx1x">Mantes-la-Jolie</a>.
By 29 June, over 150 people had been arrested, 24 officers had been injured, and 40 cars had been torched. Fearing greater unrest, <a href="/facts/G%25C3%25A9rald_Darmanin/4VHVtmwn">Gérald Darmanin</a>, <a href="/facts/Minister_of_the_Interior_(France)/Frym8DAV">Interior Minister</a> of France, deployed 1,200 <a href="/facts/Riot_police/VxInPn8e">riot police</a> and <a href="/facts/Gendarmes/IU7lsrLc">gendarmes</a> in and around Paris, later adding an additional 2,000. On 29 June, Darmanin announced that the government would deploy 40,000 officers nationwide, including <a href="/facts/RAID_(French_police_unit)/5mm4fcwv">RAID</a> and <a href="/facts/GIGN/FLFcJ4dF">GIGN</a> counter-terrorist units, to quell the violence. After 4 July, the unrest dropped drastically and was soon declared over.

Nahel Merzouk riots open-in-new

Nahel Merzouk riots