Thousands arrested in French riots

The grandmother of a 17-year-old boy killed by police called for an end to riots and looting across France on Sunday. Her comments came as the country prepared for a sixth straight night of violent protests. Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez acknowledged that protests had calmed somewhat but said police would maintain their increased presence on the streets in the coming days. The government said 45,000 French police would deploy across the country Sunday night.

What have these protests looked like? In some areas, buildings have been damaged and cars set on fire. Some protesters rammed a burning car into the home of the mayor of L’Haÿ-les-Roses, a Paris suburb,  early on Sunday morning. The mayor said his wife and one of his children were injured during the attack. Police have arrested almost 3,000 people over the course of the riots. Hotels in Paris reported a wave of cancellations due to the violence.

Dig deeper: Read Jeremy Abegg-Guzman’s report in The Sift about the start of the protests.