(AFP) Police fought running battles in at least five suburbs of Paris overnight with residents who accused officers of using heavy-handed tactics to enforce France’s strict coronavirus lockdown.
Residents burnt cars and shot fireworks at police, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas in the northern suburbs of Villeneuve-la-Garenne and Aulnay-sous-Bois, witnesses and police said on Monday.
The violence began on Saturday when a motorcyclist was injured during a police check in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, prompting a crowd to gather.
A police statement said the group targeted officers with “projectiles” in a near two-hour standoff.
The motorcyclist crashed into the open door of a police car and required surgery for a broken leg.
