Riots in Nantes as Muslim Criminal Killed by Police

The New Normal - France

Police in full riot gear floods Nantes

following violent clashes 

Residents look at the French gendarmes at the Breil neighborhood in Nantes, on July 4, 2018.

© Sebastien Salom Gomis / AFP

Hundreds of riot police officers have been deployed to the streets of the western French city of Nantes following violent clashes that erupted in the city earlier after a young man was gunned down by police.

Videos posted on social media show heavy police patrols, as well as scores of police minivans, moving along the streets of Nantes on Wednesday. On many occasions, police effectively blocked entire streets in apparent attempts to maintain security. 

The night before, those areas witnessed massive riots, during which the angry mob was setting cars alight and throwing Molotov cocktails during clashes with police.

The outbreak of violence was provoked by the death of a 22-year-old man, identified as Aboubakar F., who was shot dead on Tuesday night as he tried to avoid a police inspection and flee the scene. Even though the situation has largely calmed down, by around 3:00 in the morning, additional police forces were apparently sent to the city.

The locals, however, are apparently not pleased to see the massive police presence. The officers have been repeatedly pelted with various projectiles by the locals right from the windows of the nearby buildings, as well as by groups of angry locals in the streets. Police responded with tear gas as tensions seemed to be growing once again.

At some streets, the officers were met with angry chants and booing by the crowd. 

The city is still recovering from the unrest that engulfed it on Tuesday night. Piles of garbage can be still seen burning near the overthrown dustbins on some streets.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor of Nantes, Jean-Pierre Sennes, told the French media that the man who was killed by police was in fact wanted for theft and membership in criminal gangs. He also allegedly used a fake identity of Mamadou D, as he was also on the wanted list for robbery since June 15.

He was also previously known to police as he committed about a dozen offenses, including a gang robbery, burglary and criminal conspiracy, Le Parisien reports. His vehicle was also allegedly used in drug trafficking.

And yet, he had so many friends!