France deployed 45,000 officers backed by light armored vehicles on Friday to deal with a fourth night of violent protests following the deadly police shooting of a teenager.
Police and other security personnel were sent around the country to dampen the rioting sparked by the shooting, which occurred during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on Tuesday.
Despite the presence of security, looting occurred on Friday night in Lyon, Marseille, and Grenoble, with bands of frequently hooded rioters pillaging shops.
Protesters also set cars and trash cans on fire.
The eastern city of Strasbourg saw daylight looting Friday, with rioters targeting an Apple Store and other businesses.
In the southern city of Marseille, police used tear gas when youths threw objects at police cars in the Vieux-Port district, which is popular with visitors.
Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan has requested reinforcements, citing “scenes of looting and violence.”
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 270 persons were arrested in Marseille on Friday.
After hurrying back from an EU conference to chair a crisis meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “unacceptable exploitation of an adolescent’s death” in some quarters.
