Arrests in overnight French riots rise to 719: ministry

PARIS: Arrests during a fifth night of rioting over the police killing of a teenager in France have risen to 719, the interior ministry said Sunday.

Hours earlier the ministry had given a provisional figure of 486 arrests, saying violence seemed to be lessening compared to the previous night when around 1,300 people were taken into custody.

Rioters rammed car into mayor’s home

Moreover, rioters rammed a car into the home of the mayor of a town south of Paris, injuring his wife and one of his children, the mayor said Sunday.

Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun wrote on Twitter that protesters “rammed a car” into his home before “setting a fire” while his family slept.

“Last night a milestone was reached in horror and disgrace,” wrote the mayor of the town of L’Hay-les-Roses.

The incident took place on the fifth night of chaos across France, where rioters have set cars on fire, attacked infrastructure, and clashed with security forces after police shot dead a 17-year-old boy trying to flee a traffic stop.

“My wife and one of my children were injured,” said Mayor Jeanbrun.

“It was an attempted murder of unspeakable cowardice.”