Jul 2, 2023
PARIS (Sputnik) – French Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel said on Saturday that access to social media should be restricted during the unrest in the country.
“We will need to study the role of social networks. At some point… they will have to be cut off when the situation in the country gets too tense. I prefer a state of emergency in social networks than [among] the population,” Roussel told France Info.
Earlier in the day, French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said that French prosecutors should ask internet operators for the IP addresses of young people calling for riots on the Snapchat app.
On Tuesday, Nahel M. was shot dead in Nanterre after he had refused to comply with police orders during a traffic stop. The officer who pulled the trigger on the teenager has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and is in custody. The fatal police shooting sparked riots across the country.
Violent protests have continued throughout the week, with injuries and detentions reported every day. French media said on Saturday, citing the interior ministry, that 1,311 were detained over the past night, including 406 in greater Paris. In addition, 1,350 cars and 234 buildings were set on fire, according to reports.
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