Riots in France appear to be calming down after five days of violent protests in response to the shooting of teenager Naheel M during a police traffic stop.
Sunday night saw a drop in violence and fewer arrests.
However, President Emmanuel Macron has asked the interior ministry to maintain a “massive” police presence on the streets.
On Monday, mayors called for rallies outside town halls against violence and looting.
In Naheel’s hometown of Nanterre, Mayor Patrick Gerry said he was glad the violence had subsided, but added that “we must not ignore the incident that led to this situation and the continued pursuit of justice.” Necessity”.
In the afternoon, several hundred people attended a rally in L’Haÿ-les-Roses in support of Vincent Jeanburn, the mayor whose home was attacked by rioters who fired rockets at his fleeing wife and children. , his leg was broken and one was injured. Children. The incident is being termed as attempted murder.
A visibly emotional Mr Jean Brun said: “We saw the true faces of the rioters: they are murderers… They wanted to burn my wife and my two young children alive and kill them in their sleep.”
To applause, Mr Jeanbrun also said that during the past week “democracy itself was under attack… We need a majority of people who have been silent until now to say: enough!”
While Sunday night was largely quiet, officials were careful not to prematurely welcome a return to normalcy on Monday.
Buses and trams in the Paris region will be suspended again on Monday night, while President Macron has asked the interior ministry to maintain a “massive” police presence across France to ensure a “calm return”. Can be guaranteed.
Home Affairs Minister Gerald Derminen confirmed that around 45,000 officers had been deployed across the country over the past three nights and would be back on the streets on Monday.
More than 150 people were arrested on Sunday night, up from 700 the night before.
297 cars were set on fire, compared to 1,900 on Thursday, while 34 buildings were damaged or set on fire, compared to more than 500 on Thursday.
Over the weekend, the family of young Naheel, who was killed by the police, demanded an end to the violence.
His grandmother accused the rioters of using Naheel’s death as an excuse and urged them to stop destroying public property.
Another relative told JEE News the family did not want his death to spark riots, but insisted the law on deadly force at traffic stops should be changed.
He also said he was “heartbroken” about a GoFundMe page dedicated to the shooting of the police officer, which had raised more than €1.1m (£956,200) by Monday and was still growing. was
The fundraiser, which was founded by a far-right media commentator, has been criticized by several politicians – but the platform told JEE News that GoFundMe’s terms and conditions were not being breached. is because the funds are intended for the officer’s family and “not for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime.”
A fundraiser for Naheel’s family was set up on a different platform and had raised €215,000 (£184,862) by Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, French regional authorities are starting to announce financial aid measures for bankrupt businesses and hospitality venues.
In the Marseille region, business owners will be able to apply for a €10,000 (£8,598) one-off grant, while the Paris region has €20m (£17,196,512) unblocked to help restore damaged and looted public buildings. have done.
But there are fears that the wave of violence could have a long-term impact on the tourism sector as the summer season begins.
French media outlet Le Point quoted a tourism official as estimating that 25 percent of hotel bookings in Paris have already been canceled.
François Rial said the riots posed “a real threat” to France’s image: “This is true even if the unrest subsides, because many tourists are allergic to danger.”
On Tuesday, President Macron will meet with the mayors of the 220 municipal areas that have been affected by the violence.
