Ongoing Civil Unrest Across France Declared a Failure of Security Agencies by President Macron; Interior Minister’s Resignation Rejected Amid 2,400 Arrests
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has officially called the civil unrest, violent riots and rampant looting sweeping the country a failure of the country’s security and intelligence services.
Violent protest against educational reforms has continued unabated, and violent rioting and looting in Paris and several other big cities have persisted overnight, French media reports said. The situation worsened until to the point where Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez tendered his resignation to the president, but the president refused to accept it.
The key points of the growing crisis in France.
Casualties and Arrests are on the Rise: At least 1000 police officers have been injured in the ongoing violence, and the number of those who were arrested in the violent protests nationwide rose to 2,400.
Spreads of Destruction: Protesters have continued to attack government buildings, public infrastructure and commercial centres, and have been widespread, with incidents of arson, stone pelting and looting, and police use of tear gas and baton charges to disperse protesters.
Political Fallout: Security forces are left to quell public chaos while the Interior Minister’s resignation was rejected, reflecting the administration’s internal turmoil amid increasing pressure to prevent the nationwide chaos.