France sees fifth night of riots over police killing of teenager

Overall violence, however, appeared to lessen from previous nights following 'resolute action' by security forces

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Young rioters clashed with police into early on Sunday and targeted a mayor's home with a burning car, injuring members of his family, as France saw a fifth night of unrest after the police killing of a teenager. Overall violence, however, appeared to lessen from previous nights.

Police made 719 arrests nationwide by early on Sunday following a mass security deployment aimed at quelling France's worst social upheaval in years. The crisis posed a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron's leadership and exposed deep-seated discontent in low-income neighbourhoods over discrimination and lack of opportunity. The 17-year-old whose death on Tuesday spawned the anger was laid to rest Saturday in a Muslim ceremony in Nanterre, a Paris suburb where emotions over his loss remain raw. He has been identified publicly only by his first name, Nahel.

As night fell Saturday, a small crowd gathered on the Champs-Elysees to protest his death and police violence but met hundreds of officers with batons and shields guarding the avenue and its boutiques. In a less chic Paris neighbourhood, protesters set off firecrackers and lit barricades on fire as police shot back with tear gas and stun grenades.

A burning car hit the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb ofl'Hay-lesRoses. Several schools, police stations, town halls and stores have been targeted by fires or vandalism in recent days but such a personal attack on a mayor's home is unusual.