France

France’s anti-immigration far right gets boost from riots over police killing of teen

PARIS (AP) — Widespread riots in France sparked by the police killing of a teenager with North African roots have revealed the depth of discontent roiling poor neighborhoods — and given a new platform to the increasingly emboldened far right.

France-UK campaign to oust Gaddafi from Libya a disaster, says spy chief

11 July 2023; MEMO: The French-inspired campaign with Britain to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi in 2011 was a disastrous error, according to France's spy chief in Libya at the time, the Times reports.

According to the report, the story of the secret operations to bring down the Libyan dictator has been told by Jean-Francois Lhuillier, a former Tripoli station chief of the Directorate General for External Security (DGSE). His book has angered the Secret Service, where he worked for 27 years.

Paris protest over police violence banned in aftermath of riots

PARIS, July 8 (Reuters) - Paris police banned a protest on Saturday against violence by the force, a week after France was rocked by riots sparked by the killing of a teenager in a suburb of the French capital.

The Paris police department said in a decision published on its website that it had banned the planned demonstration on the Place de la Republique over risks to public order, citing a "context of tensions".

French authorities and politicians including President Emmanuel Macron have denied institutional racism within the country's law enforcement agencies.

France returns 35 citizens from camp in Syria housing thousands linked to Islamic State extremists

PARIS (AP) — France has returned 35 people — 10 women and 25 minors — from a sprawling camp in northeast Syria housing thousands of people linked to Islamic State extremists.

Al-Hol Camp — named after a town near the Iraqi border — holds about 51,000 people, including many widows, wives and children of Islamic State fighters. Iraqis make up nearly half the population, but a sizeable minority are from outside the Middle East.

France’s Macron weakened by crisis over teen killed by police

PARIS (AP) — Even in normal times Emmanuel Macron needed allies’ help governing France.

To get some things done he worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped the French president accomplish others. The challenge was bigger than any a French leader had faced in more than two decades: He had to convince politicians across the country’s national assembly to support even a minor domestic project.

French police detain 3,200 people in 3 days — Interior Minister

PARIS, July 3. /TASS/: In the last 3 days, the French police have detained 3,200 people during the riots that engulfed the country after a police officer killed a 17-year-old in Nanterre, French Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin said during a briefing Monday.

"Law enforcement has been very active. A total of 3,200 people have been detained in three days, an unprecedented figure," he said, noting that the average age of the detainees is 17 years.

"Out of these 3,200 people, 60% have never had any problems with the law before," the minister underscored.

719 arrested during overnight violence in France: ministry

PARIS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 719 people were arrested overnight from Saturday to Sunday in France, the fifth night of nationwide violence sparked by the killing of a teen by a police officer, France's Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

According to the ministry, 45 police officers and gendarmes were injured, while 577 vehicles and 74 buildings were burnt.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that Saturday night was "calmer" than Friday night when 1,311 people were arrested and 1,350 vehicles burnt.

Grandmother of French teen shot dead by police officer pleads with rioters to stop the violence

PARIS (AP) — The grandmother of the French teenager shot dead by police during a traffic stop pleaded Sunday for rioters to stop after five nights of unrest, while authorities expressed outrage at an attack on a suburban mayor’s home that injured family members.

The grandmother of 17-year-old Nahel, identified only as Nadia, said in a telephone interview with French news broadcaster BFM TV, “Don’t break windows, buses ... schools. We want to calm things down.”

France has a 5th night of rioting over teen’s killing by police amid signs of subsiding violence

PARIS (AP) — Young rioters in France clashed with police into early Sunday and targeted a mayor’s home with a burning car, injuring members of his family, as the country saw a fifth night of unrest after the police killing of a teenager. However, overall violence appeared to lessen from previous nights.

Police made 719 more arrests, bringing the total number of people detained to more than 3,000 following a mass security deployment aimed at quelling France’s worst social upheaval in years.

PSG head coach Galtier in police custody for alleged racist remarks in 2021

01 July 2023; AA: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Christophe Galtier was reportedly placed in police custody on Friday following allegations of making racist remarks against Black and Muslim players during his time at OGC Nice, his former club.

French daily Le Parisien reported that Galtier, 56, was held by the Nice police to provide a statement regarding the alleged remarks made during his tenure in 2021.

Subscribe to France