TIRANA, July 2 – Days of unrest and rioting in France over the killing of a French-Algerian teenager Nahel M. by police have spread to neighboring Switzerland, after spilling over into Belgium earlier in the week.
In the Swiss city of Lausanne, there were clashes between police and groups of protesters, most of them young – an echo of the profile of many of the rioters in France, police in Lausanne said in a statement which was quoted by international media on Sunday.
“Echoing the events and riots raging in France, more than a hundred youths gathered in central Lausanne and damaged businesses,” said the statement.
Although nowhere near the scale of the protests in France, protesters attacked shops and police forces, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails on Saturday evening.
The violence began “following several calls on social media”, police said, and “several shop windows were smashed”.
Seven people, including six minors aged 15-17, were arrested during the riots in the French-speaking city. No injuries were reported during the violent riots, for which around 50 police officers were deployed.
France has seen a wave of violent protests since a police officer shot dead 17-year-old Nahel M. after the teen allegedly failed to comply with police during a traffic stop on Tuesday in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, France.
Angry protesters have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police in an outpouring of rage over the killing of Nahel, who has Algerian origins.
His death was captured on video, which spread on social media and fueled anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France.
French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a visit to Germany because of the riots sweeping the country. Mr Macron had been due to arrive in Berlin on Sunday for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss key policy areas. However, his spokesperson said he has requested the date be moved due to the ongoing unrest in France sparked by the fatal shooting of a teenager.
In the meantime Britons were warned about visiting Paris after a fourth night of rioting swept parts of the country on Friday evening.
In official advice posted to the UK Government website, tourists heading across the Channel were warned of potential disruptions to travel and local transport, after unrest spread from the Parisian suburb of Nanterre to the centre of the city and towns and cities beyond. /argumentum.al
