Mass riots that began in France on 27 June have spread to two other European countries – Switzerland and Belgium – local media reports said, citing eyewitnesses.
In Brussels, Belgium, the protests began on 30 June and were relatively peaceful – police checked and detained people whom they considered suspicious. Belgians took to the capital’s streets after calls on social networks to “do as in France”. According to media reports, the number of demonstrators arrested in Brussels has risen to 63.
Later, rallies also took place in Lausanne, Switzerland, where they were less peaceful. Swiss police have detained seven people, including six minors, during nightly riots in the city after more than 100 rioters attacked shops and police officers, the media reported on Sunday, citing police. The protesters threw stones and at least one Molotov cocktail at the law enforcement officers. Nobody was injured.
The six detainees, who are between the ages of 15 and 17, are of Portuguese, Bosnian, Somalian, Georgian and Serbian origin, a local newspaper reported. The only adult among the apprehended is a 24-year-old Swiss citizen, the report added.
On 27 June, 17-year-old Nahel M was shot dead in Nanterre after he refused to comply with police orders during a traffic stop. The officer who pulled the trigger on the teenager has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and is now in custody. The fatal police shooting has sparked riots across the country.
Violent protests have continued throughout the week, with injuries and detentions reported every day. More than 700 people have been detained in France overnight and more than 40 police officers and gendarmes were injured during the continuing unrest in the country, the French Interior Ministry said on Sunday. In addition, 1,350 cars and 234 buildings were set on fire, according to reports.
French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said that about 30 percent of the 2,400 rioters detained by the police were minors.
