A French mayor whose home was ram-raided by rioters while his family slept inside has been consoled by local residents during a walkabout of the Parisian suburb.
The attack happened to Vincent Jeanbrun’s home in L’Hay-les-Roses in the early hours of Sunday morning, as violent clashes between protestors and police broke out during a fifth night of unrest.
Riots which have rocked the country were sparked by the death of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who was allegedly ‘executed’ by police during a traffic stop on Tuesday.
A total of 719 people were arrested in France following the widespread unrest. Last night saw Mr Jeanbrun’s home targeted by rioters, who used a car to ram through the gates of his home and then tried to set it alight.
While he was not at home, his wife and child managed to flee but were injured in the chaos. He has condemned the act as a ‘murder attempt of unspeakable cowardice’.
The mayor of the south Paris suburb emerged today do a walkabout, where he was consoled by local residents who implored him to ‘stay strong’, with one man telling him: ‘Mister mayor, we are with you’.
