Paris has now seen three nights of unrest following the killing of a 17-year-old by police officers on 27 June.
The death of the teenager, known only as Nahel, was captured on video and has shocked France, stirring long-simmering tensions between young people and the police in disadvantaged neighbourhoods around the country.
Transport and businesses have been disrupted as a result of the clashes; on Friday (30 June), interior minister Gérald Darmanin asked regional prefects for all bus and tram services to stop from 9pm local time. Before travelling, check if your plans will be affected and how you’ll get around.
But as the French capital is gearing up for its annual influx of summer holidaymakers, is it safe to travel to Paris?
Where are the clashes?
Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in Nanterre, a town in the western suburbs of Paris, and nearby, and continued their overnight on Wednesday. They continued between Wednesday and Thursday, during which a fire damaged the town hall of the Paris suburb of L’Ile-Saint-Denis, not far from France‘s national stadium and the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The troubles spread further on Thursday night and into Friday, with looting taking place in Rue de Rivoli, which is near the Louvre Museum and the Champs Elysées, and a central Nike store was broken into – a significant escalation. Videos circulating on social media show a fire at the site of an Olympic swimming pool, reported to be under construction for the 2024 Games.
Is it safe to visit Paris?
Around 17 million Brits visit France every year, and most of the visits are free of trouble, but the ugly scenes over the past couple of days could understandably cause some concern.
One important thing to consider is where you’re travelling to in the capital. Most of the city is unaffected by the unrest and the vast majority of it is confined to non-tourist areas; the Interior Ministry has announced that thousands of extra police officers would be deployed to quell further clashes. If you find yourself close to any protests, the advice is to leave the impacted area.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not issued a travel warning for France, however The Independent has contacted it for an update. The US government has also not issued any travel advisories regarding France.
The FCDO website currently…
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