On Twitter, journalist Taha Bouhafs warned everyone on Sunday evening: "The suburbs are on fire, history repeats itself, the explosion is really not far this time, too many injustices accumulated. The next few days will be decisive . ” In Villeneuve-la-Garenne, a small town deemed calm in the Hauts-de-Seine, all it took was a "spark in full containment", as a police source blows, for spirits to warm up. Reviving, in such a particular context, once again the memory of the painful urban riots of 2005.
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At around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, a 30-year-old man, riding a helmet on a motocross bike, was injured in the leg after hitting the opening door of an undercover police vehicle. On social networks, defenders of the individual, known to the police, were quick to cry out, calling for a general uprising. Their far-right opponents laughed at the fate of the 30-something, who should have "stayed at home" in the midst of a health crisis. Misinformation, as so often, has lent the rider a torn leg, instead of an open fracture of the femur.
Homes of Delinquency
The evening of the incident, clashes broke out between fifty individuals and the police. This violence continued into the night from Sunday to Monday, from 10 p.m. and ended around 5 a.m. Several vehicles were set on fire, mortars and fireworks fired, deteriorated street furniture, despite a large police presence. Violence also broke out in the neighboring towns of Rueil-Malmaison, Suresnes and Gennevilliers and Nanterre. But, at this stage, no link could be established by the authorities with the Villeneuve accident.
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In Villeneuve, the actions would be the fruit of young people, notably from the HLM "La Caravelle" city. According to our information, these individuals have carefully organized themselves via the social network Snapchat. But the events did not lead to any arrest, thus not making it possible “to identify the leaders” of the attacks, indicates the town hall in Figaro . In this city of less than 25,000 inhabitants, such an uprising surprises the actors on the ground. “Here, the lawless zones do not exist and the few centers of delinquency boil down to drug trafficking. We could have thought of Grigny, La Courneuve, but not Villeneuve " , judges a police source.
“Confinement exacerbates tensions”
On the side of the police, we fear the next “difficult nights” at Villeneuve-la-Garenne, in a particularly tense context. “The events took place near neighborhoods fueled by drug trafficking. Confinement exacerbates tensions, puts a stop to the parallel economy. Dealers try to continue their business, but earn less than before. It can ignite much more easily ” , fears an informed source. "If other departments get involved, it can get complicated," says another. In the night from Sunday to Monday, sporadic incidents were reported in Seine-Saint-Denis in Aulnay-sous-Bois, Villepinte or Neuilly-sur-Marne. Seven people were arrested.
Police are unable to handle a health crisis and a blaze of cities at the same time
A police source in Le FigaroSince the start of confinement, the police have been instructed to show "discernment" with regard to sensitive neighborhoods. "The idea is not to necessarily come into contact with provocative people , " says one of them. In Villeneuve-la-Garenne, as elsewhere, the workforce has so far worked in "degraded" mode. Only 50% of them were in the field to avoid over-contamination with Covid-19. But recent tensions have changed the game. All the agents of the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC) at night will be mobilized in the coming days in the area. Same thing for the Security and Intervention Company (CSI) day and evening. A helicopter has also planned to fly over the department to better identify the troublemakers. " The police are unable to manage a health crisis and a blaze of cities at the same time," worries a union member.
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One of our contacts, close to the case, tempered, however: "The facts are not as serious as mentioned on social networks. There was no chase that could encourage this man to accelerate and push him to fault . ” According to him, these uprisings are " only a little boost." Same story with the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior, Camille Chaize. “ These actions are obviously intolerable and call for a firm response. At this stage, however, they remain of relatively low intensity. ” A police source is concerned, however, about calls to "anti-cop hatred" . "We ask the Minister of the Interior to file a complaint against these people who want the death of our colleagues," claims Emmanuel Quemener, regional secretary of the Alliance union. Before adding, without tongue in cheek: "As soon as the police put their nose too much into the neighborhood, it bothers . "