Nearly 100,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed throughout the country overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday to prevent the usual end-of-year excesses. Despite this exceptional system, several incidents have been reported, according to initial information collected by Europe 1.
The first clashes broke out at the start of the evening in the North. In Valenciennes, Tourcoing and Lille, police officers were targeted by mortar fire. Car fires required the intervention of firefighters.
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A school burned down
In the East, there was no shortage of tensions. In Sarrebourg, a school was ravaged by flames. In Strasbourg, the situation was particularly turbulent. “In Strasbourg, we have around thirty people in custody for various offenses, whether fires, throwing mortars, contempt or other offenses,” said Emmanuel Georges, of the Unité union. “There are also more than sixty vehicles burned.”
A 15-year-old boy hit by a car
The human toll of the night is also worrying. In Strasbourg, a 15-year-old teenager tragically lost his life after being hit by a car whose driver fled. In Clermont-Ferrand, another teenager was seriously injured after being stabbed.
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These incidents, which marked the night in many regions of France, should be the subject of a full assessment expected during the day. The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, must speak out about this violence which, despite significant resources, seems to have increased.
