Crisis in France; Macron: Keep Teenagers at Home

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, on Friday, July 9, called on parents to keep their teenagers at home following the escalation of protests. He also demanded restrictions on social media to control widespread protests across France. After a second crisis meeting with senior ministers, Macron stated that social media platforms like 'Snapchat and TikTok' played a significant role in inciting violent acts similar to those seen in this week's unrest. He mentioned that his government would collaborate with tech companies to establish procedures for 'removing sensitive content.' Macron did not specify the content in question but stated, 'I expect a sense of responsibility from these platforms.' The French President added that authorities also intend to identify the identities of individuals who use these social media to 'call for disorder or escalate violence' if it is 'useful.' He noted that one-third of those arrested during Thursday night's unrest were 'young, sometimes very young,' and that 'it is the responsibility of parents' to keep their children at home. In this context, the French Ministry of the Interior announced on Friday, July 9, that 'bus and tram services across the country' would be suspended to control the protests. Despite the widespread deployment of security forces, France has experienced violent unrest in various regions. Security forces arrested 'hundreds' in one night, and Emmanuel Macron held another crisis meeting on Friday. Gerald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, tweeted: 'Last night, our police and firefighters bravely confronted rare violence. They arrested 667 people under my firm orders.' Monia, the mother of Nael, told France 5 television: 'I do not blame the police; I blame one person, the one who took my son's life.' 'Nael' is the name of a teenager who was stopped by police on Tuesday night in the Nanterre area of the Paris suburbs for a driving violation. Shortly after, this teenager was shot dead by the police. Initially, the police stated that he intended to run over an officer, which is why they shot at him, but the French news agency released a video that contradicts the police's account. In just the Aubervilliers area, located north of Paris, 12 buses were set on fire. Some compare this situation to the protests of 2005, which lasted three weeks and forced President Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency, but Macron has so far refrained from declaring a state of emergency for these unrests. The Ministry of the Interior stated that 250 security and police officers were also injured in the clashes with protesters.