France/Civil unrest: second consecutive night of violence in Fréjus

(Oligny Traoré/Gamma/Photo News)

New clashes erupted late on Monday in the town of Fréjus and in Saint Raphaël in the Var region (south of France) after young men threw stones and Molotov cocktails against a police patrol. Immediately after that incident, demonstrators took to the streets and set fire to garbage and several vehicles parked in the area of Gabelle, an outskirt of Fréjus where a young Morrocan killed himself on Sunday. “The police entered the hart of the city to scatter the groups that committed violence,” said a prefecture statement. “The situation remains however highly strained,” it added. According to the police, two people have been arrested during the night. Two police officers and two fire-fighters were also wounded.

Violent clashes erupted earlier on Sunday in the town of Fréjus after Mohamed El Matari, a 21 years-old Moroccan national, living in the city killed himself while he was trying to steer clear of a roadblock. After the incident, at least 50 youths took to the streets and started to break windows and to burn garbage, tires, a motorcycle and five vehicles in a shipyard. After the violence, the El Matari family called to the end of violence. “Tonight, do not break anything, do not burn anything, I even do not want to see a kleenex burning!” said a member of the family.