Dozens of cars torched in 3rd night of riots in France

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In a third night of rioting, dozens of cars and several buildings were set ablaze in the western French city of Nantes.

The violence was triggered by the shooting death of a young black man by a policeman.

Tuesday's shooting inflamed already simmering tensions between youths and security forces in deprived urban areas, which often have large immigrant communities.

The victim was a 22-year-old man identified by the media as "Aboubakar F.", who was under surveillance as part of a drug-trafficking investigation, with the policeman who pulled the trigger detained for questioning on Thursday.

Overnight, 52 cars were set alight, including the mayor's personal vehicle, while eight buildings were damaged by fire or vandalism, including a bar in a shopping center, officials said.

A resident looks at the wreckage of burnt-out cars in the Bellevue neighborhood in Nantes, July 6, 2018, following another night of violence in the western French city. /VCG Photo

There were also arson attempts on a high school and a petrol station, but no injuries were reported, with the violence only subsiding at around 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT).

The unrest has again highlighted tensions in deprived urban areas of France where local youths often complain about police brutality but security forces are frequently treated as targets.

In a separate development, two off-duty officers, a husband and wife, were on Wednesday night attacked in front of their three-year-old daughter in a northeastern suburb of Paris shortly after leaving a dinner party.

A police source said the attackers recognized the policewoman because she had recently stopped them for an ID check in the crime-ridden area of Aulnay-sous-Bois.

President Emmanuel Macron denounced the attack as an "appalling and cowardly act" and vowed the suspects would be "found and punished."

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (R) speaks during a press conference, next toTransport Minister Elisabeth Borne (L) at the prefecture of Loire-Atlantique in Nantes, July 5, 2018. /VCG Photo

One of them has been arrested while the second remains on the run.

'Justice for Abou'

In a bid to defuse tensions, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe visited Nantes on Thursday where he promised "the fullest transparency" about the circumstances of the young man's death.

But there are fears the unrest could spread.

In 2005, riots erupted across the country following the deaths of two black teenagers who were electrocuted in a Paris suburb while hiding from the police.

Anger over heavy-handed policing bubbled over again last year when a young black man in another Paris suburb suffered severe anal injuries caused by a truncheon during his arrest.

People gather for a commemorative march at the site where a man was shot dead by an officer during a police check in the Breil neighborhood of Nantes, northwestern France, July 5, 2018, following clashes between groups of young people and police in the night of July 3. /VCG Photo

Four people were arrested in Nantes overnight, including a 14-year-old carrying a petrol can and matches.

There have also been more than a dozen arrests elsewhere, including in Garges-les-Gonesse, the Paris suburb where Aboubakar F. grew up.

On Thursday evening, around 1,000 people marched in Nantes calling for "justice for Abou" and demanding clarity about the circumstances of his death.

Police said the victim was under surveillance as part of a drug-trafficking investigation and was also wanted for robbery and other offences.

They claim he resisted arrest and tried to reverse his car into a police officer.

But a witness said the car was stationary when the officer opened fire, killing the driver with a single bullet to the neck.

Source(s): AFP