US Embassy Issues Warning to American Citizens: Avoid French Cities

The U.S. national flag waves on the territory of the embassy of a U.S. Embassy in a file phot. (Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Embassy issued a bulletin urging American citizens in France to exercise caution amid widespread rioting and unrest following a police-involved shooting earlier this week.

“Following the June 27 police shooting in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, demonstrations are taking place in the greater Paris region and other major urban centers with reports of damage to private property and public buildings,” the U.S. Embassy said in a bulletin, dated June 29.

It noted that those demonstrations and “spontaneous protests,” which many have described as rioting, are “expected to continue and may turn violent.”

American citizens should avoid large gatherings and areas with significant police activity, said the bulletin. Some cities are also imposing curfews amid the violence, it said.

“As always, it is a good practice to notify friends or family of your whereabouts,” the alert said, adding that “public transportation is being affected.”

The Embassy advises Americans in France to avoid demonstrations and protest activity; avoid areas with significant police activity; if unavoidable, protect yourself or find shelter; follow the advice of police and local authorities; and monitor local media for updates. “Be aware of your surroundings,” it also cautions.

Violence flared in the cities of Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, Strasbourg, and Lille as well as Paris after the death of a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan descent. Footage uploaded on social media appeared to show an individual behind the wheel of a stopped yellow car as police officers leaned on the vehicle with their guns drawn. The driver then took off as one of the police officers, who appeared to be sitting partially on the hood, opened fire.

Firefighters stand as they extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop in Nanterre, Paris suburb, France, on June 28, 2023. (Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq)

Also on Friday, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry issued an alert to citizens that “since June 27th, riots have taken place across France. Locations and timing of riots are unpredictable. You should monitor the media, avoid areas where riots are taking place.”

Details

President Emmanuel Macron left a European Union summit in Brussels early to attend what was the second cabinet crisis meeting in two days. He has asked social media to remove “the most sensitive” footage of rioting and to disclose identities of people fomenting violence.

In the southern city of Marseille, France’s second largest, authorities banned demonstrations set for Friday, and encouraged restaurants to close outdoor areas early. They said all public transport would stop at 7 p.m.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the government would consider all options to stop “intolerable” violence.

Interior Minister Darmanin said 1,200 police were deployed overnight and 2,000 would be out in force Wednesday in the Paris region and around other big cities to “maintain order.”

A car, burnt during clashes between youths and police, in a street the day after the death of a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, Paris suburb, on June 28, 2023. (Antony Paone/Reuters)

But Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer for the family of the killed teen, told The Associated Press they want the police officer pursued for murder instead of manslaughter, and want the investigation handed to a different region because they fear Nanterre investigators won’t be impartial.

Amid the rioting, videos posted social media showed urban landscapes ablaze. A tram was set alight in the eastern city of Lyon and 12 buses were gutted in a depot in Aubervilliers, northern Paris.

Looters ransacked shops including an Apple store in the eastern city of Strasbourg, a local official said. A source told Reuters that several Casino supermarkets had been looted.

In Nanterre, on the capital’s outskirts, rioters torched cars, barricaded streets, and hurled projectiles at police following an earlier protest.

It come also as Snapchat spokesperson Rachel Racusen told AP the company has increased its moderation since Tuesday to detect and act on content related to the rioting in France.

“Violence has devastating consequences, and we have zero tolerance for content that promotes or incites hatred or violent behavior on any part of Snapchat,” Racusen said. “We proactively moderate this type of content and when we find it, we remove it and take appropriate action. We do allow content that is factually reporting on the situation.”

The unrest has revived memories of three weeks of nationwide riots in 2005 that forced then President Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency. That wave of violence erupted in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois following the death of two young men electrocuted in a power substation as they hid from police.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.