Distribution of armored police vehicles, limits on social networks, and relying on parents to calm angry teens. These are the prescriptions claimed by French President Emmanuel Macron to quell the suburban protests that erupted this week. A police shooting left a 17-year-old dead earlier, amplifying a crisis that began with Nahel M. and has since spiraled into street clashes across the country.
Since then, anger and urban violence have surged in communities long scrutinized for police interactions. Last night alone saw about 900 people detained, more than 500 public buildings set on fire, and around 1,900 vehicles damaged or burned. The toll includes two deaths: a young person who died during looting in Rouen and a civilian in Guyana, a French overseas territory in South America, struck by a stray bullet during the protests.
Less than a month after a turbulent round of pension reform negotiations with unions, Macron faces a new social crisis. After an initial period of cautious hesitation, the government has shifted toward a tougher stance, with a focus not yet on systemic reform but on restoring order in neighborhoods where police relations have deteriorated for years.
“Parental Responsibility”
“Disorder cannot be justified. I call for firmness,” Macron stated as he directed a crisis cell this afternoon. He announced plans to increase police visibility with fifteen additional armored units and to strengthen judicial measures aimed at upholding responsibilities for disturbances. In parallel, civil servants on the ground would be boosted, with 40,000 personnel projected to operate nationwide, including 5,000 in the Paris region, to address the surge in disturbances.
Macron emphasized the importance of parental accountability to keep children home and safe, underscoring a collective duty to protect community well-being. The government has highlighted that many perpetrators are aged 14 to 25, and some leaders have called for parents to be held legally responsible for violations committed by their children, a stance echoed by Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti who has signaled new circulars reinforcing this liability.
The current climate for the school holidays appears to amplify the risk of continued unrest. Recently, daytime looting has occurred, including an Apple Store incident in Strasbourg and disturbances at a shopping mall in the northern Paris area.
Will a heavy hand be enough?
In the wake of Nahel’s death, some rioters have amplified their actions with a performative edge, posting about the events on social platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. There are calls for platforms to cooperate in removing content and helping identify instigators. Macron criticized what he saw as a dangerous virtual bravado, noting that some youths treat the streets like a game that escalates risk and harm.
As a further measure, authorities have begun suspending bus and tram services after eight in the evening, with this curfew-like approach expanding to several regions though not yet to the biggest cities. The government faces mounting pressure as events unfold rapidly. In just a few days, the initial shock from Nahel’s death and ensuing tensions have evolved into a broader challenge to public order.
The far-right voices, including Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour, are urging a declaration of a state of emergency and a return to harsher measures, drawing on past actions during earlier suburban disturbances in 2005. At the same time, they press for a political response to police violence, including calls to repeal reforms implemented in 2017 that have, according to critics, contributed to increased fatalities in police encounters.
Between competing pressures, Macron’s administration appears to lean toward stronger security measures. While this approach may seem sensible amid chaos, it also raises questions about its longer-term effectiveness, especially given the anxieties felt by many young residents in popular districts. “The police aren’t just harassing us; they’re threatening to take away our space,” remarked Leila, a 17-year-old student preparing for exams near Montreuil Town Hall.
Montreuil, a suburb east of Paris often favored by younger residents, has seen damaged shops and barricades in recent nights. “It feels like the end of the world,” said Michelle, 75, a longtime resident. “I don’t approve of the violence, but I understand the motivation to defend neighborhoods and say no to being ignored.” Leila added that six months of protests over pensions have left a sense of being unheard, suggesting that once the social pressures boil over, finding a resolution will be difficult for the community.