For a third night straight, the “vulnerable neighbourhood” of Monnaie in the commune of Romans-sur-Isère saw clashes between “youths” and police as violence continues to occur despite coronavirus lockdown measures.
On Thursday morning an incident took place near the rue Ninon Vallin when a stolen Fiat Punto crashed into the mast of a video camera on a roundabout in the area.
The 18-year-old driver of the stolen Fiat was arrested but a group of twenty or so of his friends spotted the arrest and proceeded to attack police and set the Fiat on fire, France Bleu reports.
As more police arrived on the scene to aid their colleagues, the youths also called for backup, until a group of around 40 people were throwing stones and rocks at officers. A large homemade firework was also shot at the police, who were forced to use defensive measures to disperse the crowd.
Attacks on police had taken place for several days prior, believed to have been sparked by an incident last Friday in which youths burned down a car and threw rocks at motorcycle police who arrived on the scene.
Elsewhere in France in the commune of Compiègne, police attempting to enforce the Chinese coronavirus curfew were attacked by a mob of up to 150 people. Officers claimed that at least 100 fireworks were shot at them between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
“The situation is becoming more and more tense,” one local police officer told the newspaper Le Parisien.
In the Vénissieux area of the city of Lyon, there were several anti-police attacks this week, along with two attempted murders — both shootings that are believed to be gang-related.
In one of the attacks on police, an officer suffered a head injury when a rock was thrown through his police vehicle’s window.
The strict coronavirus lockdown has not stopped urban rioting and anti-police violence across France, including at least four days of rioting last week.
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