77 arrested in France amid violent protests over police killing teen

PARIS: At least 77 people were arrested in France amid violent protests that erupted across the country over the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old driver by the police at a traffic stop, authorities said.

According to local French media, unrest continued for a second night on Wednesday to protest the killing of Nahel M, who was was shot at point-blank range on Tuesday as he refused a traffic stop and drove away, the BBC reported.

Videos circulating on social media showed protesters setting cars ablaze and ransacking shops

In Nanterre, the suburb from where Nahel came from, the police were forced to partially withdraw, French newspaper Le Monde reported.

In Paris, the demonstrators targeted police stations with fireworks.

In the northern city of Lille, clashes broke out between the protesters and police.

Also on Wednesday, about 300 people gathered in the town of Renne to pay tribute to the teenager were dispersed by police, reports the BBC.

President Emmanuel Macron's reaction to the shooting, which he termed "unforgivable", drew criticisms from police unions, who accused him of rushing to judge the officers involved.

The Alliance Police union called for them to be presumed innocent until found guilty, while the rival Unite SGP Police also spoke of political interventions that encouraged "anti-cop hatred".

In a statement, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he would be taking legal action against another group, France Police, after it published what he called an "unacceptable and abject" tweet seeking to justify the teenager's killing.

The officer accused of killing Nahel, who said he had fired because he felt his life was in danger, is in custody on charges of voluntary manslaughter, reports the BBC.

Nahel is the second person this year in France to have been killed in a police shooting during a traffic stop.

Last year, a record 13 people died in this way.