Tight security in France after riots sparked by veil row
23 July 2013 11:41 PM GMT
France’s interior minister said security forces would remain in place ‘as long as necessary’ after a second night of violence in the Paris suburbs sparked when police stopped a woman for wearing a veil.
Manuel Valls told French radio he would keep in place ‘a significant police presence until a lasting calm is restored’ in and around the satellite town of Trappes, south-west of Paris.
Police made four arrests in the region in the early hours of Sunday as they came under a hail of projectiles and rioters burned some 20 vehicles in Trappes and surrounding areas.
Things were calmer than on the previous night, however, when some 250 youths gathered in Trappes and hurled stones at police who responded with tear gas.
A 14-year-old boy suffered a serious eye injury in the clashes and several police officers were also hurt.
The unrest was sparked by an incident on Thursday when an officer stopped a woman wearing a veil. During this inspection, the woman’s husband attacked and apparently tried to strangle the officer, said prosecutors.
However, Muslim groups accused the police of ‘provocation’. Valls said he did not doubt ‘for an instant’ that the police officers acted with respect towards the woman when conducting their check.
Manuel Valls told French radio he would keep in place ‘a significant police presence until a lasting calm is restored’ in and around the satellite town of Trappes, south-west of Paris.
Police made four arrests in the region in the early hours of Sunday as they came under a hail of projectiles and rioters burned some 20 vehicles in Trappes and surrounding areas.
Things were calmer than on the previous night, however, when some 250 youths gathered in Trappes and hurled stones at police who responded with tear gas.
A 14-year-old boy suffered a serious eye injury in the clashes and several police officers were also hurt.
The unrest was sparked by an incident on Thursday when an officer stopped a woman wearing a veil. During this inspection, the woman’s husband attacked and apparently tried to strangle the officer, said prosecutors.
However, Muslim groups accused the police of ‘provocation’. Valls said he did not doubt ‘for an instant’ that the police officers acted with respect towards the woman when conducting their check.
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