Videos posted on social media show heavy police patrols, as well as scores of police minivans, moving along the streets of Nantes on Wednesday. On many occasions, police effectively blocked entire streets in apparent attempts to maintain security.
Les affrontements continuent à #Breil #Nantes pic.twitter.com/AxnlmCgYsE
— Jonathan Moadab (@MoadabJ) July 4, 2018
Avenue de la Jalotterie deux colonnes de gendarmerie s’avancent. #Breil #nantes pic.twitter.com/hwP19M2qxe
— Marion DUBOIS (@delabuche) July 4, 2018
The night before, those areas witnessed massive riots, during which the angry mob was setting cars alight and throwing Molotov cocktails during clashes with police.
The outbreak of violence was provoked by the death of a 22-year-old man, identified as Aboubakar F., who was shot dead on Tuesday night as he tried to avoid a police inspection and flee the scene. Even though the situation has largely calmed down, by around 3:00 in the morning, additional police forces were apparently sent to the city.
The locals, however, are apparently not pleased to see the massive police presence. The officers have been repeatedly pelted with various projectiles by the locals right from the windows of the nearby buildings, as well as by groups of angry locals in the streets. Police responded with tear gas as tensions seemed to be growing once again.
Regain de tension rue de la Maison Blanche au #breil. Les forces de l’ordre ripostent à des jets de projectiles par de nombreux tirs de lacrymogène pic.twitter.com/62L4NhISdv
— Mathieu Gruel (@mathieugruel) July 4, 2018
Ça se tend au #breil. Les gendarmes mobiles avancent rue de la Maison Blanche où des projectiles sont jetés depuis les appartements sur les forces de l’ordre. La riposte se fait à coups de lacrymo tirées vers les immeubles et sur un groupe d’habitant, au pied des logements. pic.twitter.com/4121B4DYRW
— Mathieu Gruel (@mathieugruel) July 4, 2018