On Saturday morning, rioters in France drove a car into the home of L’Haÿ-les-Roses Mayor Vincent Jeanrun and set the house on fire in what is being investigated as attempted murder. His wife broke her leg and one of his two children was injured in the attack.
The Paris suburban mayor was at his office during the attack monitoring riots happening across France. He said in a statement, “At 1:30 a.m., while I was at the city hall like the past three nights, individuals rammed their car upon my residence before setting fire to it to burn my house, inside which my wife and my two young children slept."
"While trying to protect the children and escape the attackers, my wife and one of my children were injured,” he said.
He called the event, "A murder attempt of unspeakable cowardice." Jeanrun added, "If my priority today is to take care of my family, my determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than before."
Prosecutor Stéphane Hardouin told reporters that they are investigating the incident as "attempted murder." He said it appears that the car was set on fire and "launched to burn down the pavilion."
The car hit "a low wall, the vehicle stopped… before it could reach the veranda of the house. Only the front gate was hit, along with the family’s vehicle,” he said.
Hardouin noted that police found an accelerant in a bottle but did not classify what kind.
The attempted murder comes on the fifth night of riots across France, which started in response to 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk being shot and killed by police during a June 27 traffic stop. According to the BBC, around 45,000 police have been deployed to restore order.
On Saturday night alone, over 700 people were arrested, 45 police officers were injured, 74 buildings were damaged, and 577 vehicles were set on fire, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The average age of those arrested in connection with the violence is 17 years old.
On Thursday, the US Embassy and Consulate in France issued a security alert for US citizens across the country. "Demonstrations are taking place in the greater Paris region and other major urban centers with reports of damage to private property and public buildings," it wrote.
"These demonstrations, along with spontaneous protests, are expected to continue and may turn violent," it continued. "U.S. citizens should avoid mass gatherings and areas of significant police activity as they can turn violent and result in clashes. Some cities are imposing curfews. As always, it is a good practice to notify friends or family of your whereabouts. Note that public transportation is being affected."
