We want to calm things down: Grandmother of killed French teen appeals for calm
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Paris: In the face of riots raging in France, grandmother of the 17-year-old Nahel, who was shot dead by police, appealed to rioters for calm on Sunday, news agency AP reported.
Talking to French broadcaster BFM TV, she said ‘Don’t break windows, buses ... schools. We want to calm things down.’
Expressing faith in justice system, she said she was angry at the officer who shot her grandson but no issues with the police in general.
Nahel, whose details are not made public, was buried on Saturday, according to AP.
Authorities are going to deploy 45,000 police officers to the streets to counter anger, the report said citing the office of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
President Emmanuel Macron, following a special security meeting Sunday night, will meet with heads of both house of parliament on Monday.
He will also hold talks with mayors of 220 towns and cities where violence occurred.
Following the shocking violence, Macron put off a scheduled state visit to Germany which would have become the first by a French president in 23 years.
Signalling at lessening violence, police made 78 arrests on Sunday and the numbers were down from 719 arrests on Saturday.
Security forces detained over 3,000 people during the riots even as the spreading violence left hundreds of police and firefighters injured.
Meanwhile, the residence of the mayor of the Paris suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses was attacked with a burning truck on Sunday.
Several police stations and town halls were targeted by fires or vandalism in recent days.
After President Macron attacked social media for fueling violence, Justice Minister warned youngsters of action for sharing calls for violence.
