Tensions in France against the police shooting of a teenager died down overnight, according to officials, while there were still violent incidents in several locations. For one, a mayor's residence was reportedly attacked.
Attack on a Mayor's Residence
The Washington Post reported that at 1:30 AM local time, rioters crashed the house of Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of L'Hay-les-Roses, south of Paris, with a car and set it on fire while his wife and two small children were asleep inside.
Prosecutor Stéphane Hardouin of the Val-de-Marne department, of which L'Hay-les-Roses is a part, said that a flaming car had approached the perimeter of the mayor's pavilion before being stopped presumably by a low wall. He stated the truck smashed the family's vehicles and the front gate.
In their attempt to flee, Jeanbrun stated that his wife and one of his children were hurt. He was not at their home as he was working at the town hall at the time of the assault.
Jeanbrun tweeted on Sunday, July 2: "Tonight, a milestone was reached in horror and ignominy." He described the attempt as a cowardly assassination.
Cette nuit, un cap a été franchi dans l'horreur et l'ignominie. Mon domicile a été attaqué et ma famille victime d'une tentative d’assassinat.
— Vincent Jeanbrun (@VincentJeanbrun) July 2, 2023
Ma détermination à protéger et servir la République est plus grande que jamais. Je ne reculerai pas. #PasPourRien #Emeutes ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/9HW1eAFCXN
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has declared an attempted murder probe after France's political establishment highly criticized the incident.
Chinese Nationals on a Tour Bus Were Also Attacked
Meanwhile, Beijing authorities confirmed on Sunday that a tourist bus full of Chinese nationals was attacked the previous week. According to the Foreign Ministry, certain individuals suffered minor injuries, and the bus' windows were shattered.
The Chinese consulate in Marseille reportedly informed the French government of the incident and demanded that they protect the Chinese people.
Chief of Chinese consulate services in Marseille, He Shuai, told China's Southern Metropolis Daily that the attack happened last Thursday night, June 29.
After receiving a phone call on Sunday, police in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, where Marseille is located, confirmed that a bus carrying a Chinese tour group had been attacked during the riots in the city. However, they were unable to confirm whether anyone had been injured due to the high volume of incidents in recent days.
According to the police, the bus was assaulted because its location was close to a construction site where looters had gone in search of further missiles. The bus was just "in the wrong place at the wrong time," and the passengers were not intentionally targeted because of their race.
Continuous Violence in France
Protests, some of which became violent, rocked France when a police officer shot and killed Nahel M., a 17-year-old of North African heritage, during a traffic check in a Paris neighborhood last week. Anti-police and anti-state sentiments have been stoked by the event, especially in the suburb of large cities, where members of minority groups often face discrimination and high unemployment.
Vandalism, looting, and damage to public property have occurred in cities around France, prompting the mobilization of tens of thousands of police personnel. Protesters are being met with tear gas by the police.
