Paris Police Fire Tear Gas As Minorities Riot Over “Racist” Lockdown Treatment

Lockdown protests across the Western world have become more widespread. Economies have crashed, unemployment is soaring, and people are losing their minds in quarantine. 

France is the latest country to observe social unrest, more specifically in Paris, as the second night of riots unfolded across the capital. 

Riots broke out in the suburbs of Villeneuve-la-Garenne and Aulnay-sous-Bois, northern Paris, over the weekend, and continued through Monday, the Daily Mail reports. 

The spark that lit the powder keg was due to an incident involving an Arab Muslim male on a motorcycle who was critically injured in a collision with an unmarked police car on Saturday in Villeneuve-la-Garenne. 

Overnight riots in #Paris suburb after motorcycle incident involving police#France pic.twitter.com/2rrk8wxm5S

— Ruptly (@Ruptly) April 20, 2020

Residents claim this is the latest example of “racist” police and their “heavy-handed” treatment of ethnic minorities during the coronavirus lockdown. 

Heavily armed riot police used batons, rubber bullets, and tear gas to suppress protesters. 

However, protesters fought back with rocks and fireworks and transformed the streets into a warzone.

The Daily Mail quoted a local police spokesman who said: “Police and their reinforcements have been the target of rioters, who have thrown stones and fireworks.” 

“The violence started in Villeneuve-la-Garenne and has spread to other towns and estates nearby.”

French journalist Taha Bouhafs tweeted the destruction on Monday night. 

“Lots of fireworks fire this evening at #VilleneuveLaGarenne, tensions underway in several neighborhoods, notably in the northern suburbs,” he wrote. 

En direct depuis le quartier du Luth à #Gennevilliers une voiture de la bac prise pour cible par des tirs de feux d’artifices.#VilleuneuveLaGarenne #VilleneuveLaGarenne pic.twitter.com/cqdAwSvYi1

— Taha Bouhafs (@T_Bouhafs) April 20, 2020

Dispositif policier important à #asnières / #Gennevilliers c’est le jeu du chat et la souris. Plusieurs départs de feu.#VilleneuveLaGarenne pic.twitter.com/127THvoQGx

— Taha Bouhafs (@T_Bouhafs) April 20, 2020

Police claim they were “ambushed” by protesters in the nearby suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois. 

Aulnay-sous-Bois et Saint-Denis ont été le théâtre de violences urbaines dans la nuit de lundi à mardi
➡ Des tirs de mortier et de projectiles ont visé des pompiers et policiers, sans faire ni blessé, ni interpellation > https://t.co/QGYhDJ1APV pic.twitter.com/dcf75XHd3F

— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) April 21, 2020

❤️ #aulnaysousbois – Ambiance tendue pic.twitter.com/AxS99DwHDh

— Rouen dans la rue (@Rouendanslarue) April 20, 2020

French President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that he was extending lockdowns across the country through mid-May, saying the fight against the virus is progressing, but the battle is far from over. 

With millions of people in quarantine across the country and escalating riots in northern Paris, authorities fear widespread social unrest could be imminent. 

We warned three weeks ago that a “social bomb” was set to detonate over major Western cities. And here we are…