Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Paris, France – Potentially Violent Protests
On June 29, 2023 the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in France issued a security alert for American tourists in France or traveling to France citing riots and unrest after the police shooting of a 17-year-old in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
What We Know
According to reports, on the morning of Tuesday, June 27, police officers tried to stop Nahel Merzouk while he was driving in a bus lane. It was alleged that Merzouk drove through a red light but was then stuck in traffic. Officers approached the stopped car in what should have been a routine check. But shots were fired at point-blank range entering Merzouk’s arm and chest and killing him instantly.
French media initially said the teenager had purposely driven into the officers. But video footage that emerged shortly after those reports contradicted police accounts, showing that there was no danger to police since the teenager had been attempting to drive away.
The conflicting accounts fueled protests, which escalated into violence in and around Paris and spread to cities around France. Nanterre police did not announce an internal investigation into the incident until Thursday, also contributing to the unrest. Protests were reported in hundreds of towns and cities around France, where looting, car burnings, theft, attacks on public services, police stations, and civil servants have culminated in the most extreme unrest seen in France in nearly two decades. More than a third of the people arrested last week were minors, and at least two deaths from the violence, including a firefighter last night, have been reported.
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President Macron skipped a European summit this weekend to address the violence and the government has mobilized armored vehicles, riot police and helicopters. End-of-school events have been postponed as Macron urged calm but resisted calling a national emergency.
The fatal shooting of Merzouk, of Algerian and Moroccan descent, has brought simmering racial tensions in France to the surface, recalling an incident in 2005 when two teenagers were killed on rail tracks while running from police, setting off more than three weeks of violence in Paris’s suburbs.
National and local governments have levied restrictions intended to quell the violence and contain the riots. But Merzouk’s funeral on Sunday renewed unrest, as many of the protesters identify with the victim, having experienced racial discrimination in Paris’s poorer suburbs and the suburbs of other French cities, including Lyon and Marseille. Last night—the sixth night of unrest—was calmer.
How Do the Riots Affect Tourists?
Though some stores in Paris were looted last week, including an Apple store in central Paris, the worst of the violence, rioting, and looting was confined to the suburbs around Nanterre and Seine Saint Denis. Visitors should avoid those suburbs and the suburbs of other major urban centers.
Transport
Metros are running normally today in Paris, with only the Hotel de Ville station on the line 1 closed (this is the station that opens to Paris’s City Hall). Bus and tram services here and in Marseille will stop at 9pm tonight and both cities will continue to suspend late-night bus and tram hours until “further notice.” Metros in other major cities are running normally, but may stop earlier than usual on weekends, at 1:15 am instead of 2:15 am. Restrictions will be decided on a day-to-day basis as governments take the measure of the situation as it continues to unfold.
Though passengers on SNCF, the French national train service, were affected last week and over the weekend by train delays and some cancellations, trains are running on schedule today and are projected to continue running normally.
Social Gatherings and Nighttime Curfews
The French government has banned all large gatherings in urban centers, including some concerts and festivals in Marseille and Paris. The bans are imposed at the discretion of government authorities in each city, so it’s wise to check in advance if you have tickets to an outdoor concert or even in one of these cities.
Curfews have been imposed in certain suburbs where the rioting was concentrated, but do not affect Paris.
Should You Travel to France?
There is no danger in traveling to France or to Paris. The U.S. Embassy has not intensified its a travel warning, which has been at level 2 since October 2022 due to the threat of terrorism and civil unrest. Although travelers are advised to exercise caution, avoid mass gatherings, and stay informed via reliable media outlets, no further travel warnings have been issued.
Happens every week in the US, cops shooting motorists aka citizens. Judge jury executioner. Seems safe in France.
I'm guessing this was written by a travel agent that specializes in trips to France.