PARIS, June 29. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is set to attend the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, is closely monitoring the situation with protests in France after a police officer killed a 17-year old teenager, the BFM TV channel reported, citing a source in the French leader's entourage.
According to the channel, Macron is in contact with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and other ministers. "He is also in direct contact with local government officials in the Ile-de-France area. He is closely monitoring the situation," the channel quoted the source as saying.
Following an incident where a 17-year old driving a Mercedes was killed by a policeman, riots broke out in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, which later spread to other municipalities and major cities such as Toulouse and Lyon. On the night of June 28 alone, several dozen police cars were burned, police stations and administrative buildings were set ablaze, and educational institutions were damaged. Several dozen of the 2,000 police and gendarmerie officers involved were injured while trying to suppress the riots.
On Thursday, a "white march" in Nanterre to commemmorate the murdered teenager turned into a riot. Police used tear gas and special forces were deployed to the scene. Eight people were arrested.