France on the brink of civil war: mayors become the targets for violence

A Parisian firefighter died early Monday morning, July 3, while trying to put out a fire in a subway parking garage in Saint-Denis. The 24-year-old corporal died despite rapid assistance from his colleagues, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said:

The French media Le Parisien claims that the firefighter died of a heart attack, although it admits not knowning if the death is linked to the riots that have been raging in France for the past six nights.

Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, reported that an investigation is underway. However, for the moment, his death is not listed among the consequences of the demonstrations for the authorities: the daily report of the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas France does not count any deaths. It does however report, that 3 police and gendarmes ahve been injured and 157 people have been arrested - a de-escalation compared to previous days:

Minister Gérald Darmanin also reported that there were several clashes in the country's capital as well as in other major cities. To deal with the riots, he reported that 45,000 police officers were deployed throughout the country.

Mayor's house rammed with burning car

Protesters rammed a burning car into the home of Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the Paris suburb of L'Haÿ-les-Roses. The attack resulted in the politician's wife suffering a "quite serious" injury and being hospitalized. Police are investigating the attack as an attempted murder against Jeanbrun and his family.

Another mayor targeted

The mayor of La Riche (Indre-et-Loire), Filipe Ferreira-Pousos, also suffered an attack when a projectile was thrown into his garden, and his official car was set on fire.

"The facts are qualifiable as degradation by arson and breaking and entering," reported the prosecutor of the Republic of Tours, Catherine Sorita-Minard.

Police officers attacked

In the early morning hours, two policemen were also attacked by pellet gunfire in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.

On the brink of a "civil war"

Santiago Abascal, president of Vox, the Spanish conservative party, spoke about the protests and explained that the social situation in France is "very worrying" as the country could be on the verge of a "real civil war."

Protests spread to Switzerland

According to local police, more than 100 youths gathered in the center of Lausanne and damaged businesses, echoing the events in France. According to Swiss authorities, seven people were arrested, including six minors between the ages of 15 and 17.

Police authorize the use of drones

Authorities reported that, following the incidents, Paris authorized the use of drones in several municipalities. Police will now be able to capture images between 6 pm tonight and 6:00 am tomorrow morning.

Grandmother of deceased teenager calls for an end to riots

"I want all this to stop. To the people who are breaking things, I tell them to stop. Let them not destroy the schools, let them not destroy the buses, because it is the mothers who use them," said Nadia, Nahel M's grandmother, in a conversation with the BFMTV channel.