Marseille Bans Demos; Macron Slams Social Media

Marseille has banned public demonstrations after protests, violence and looting across France led to the arrest of 667 people furious over the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Emily Dugan reported for The Guardian reported.

Photo Insert: Lawyers representing the family of the 17-year-old boy shot in France have identified him as "Naël M."

French President Emmanuel Macron said social media is fueling copycat violence in France and that state agencies would ask platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok to remove the most “sensitive content,” Kevin Rawlinson and Jon Henley also reported for the daily.

Speaking after a second government crisis meeting, the president said violence is being organized online.

Commenting on the young people involved, he said: “We sometimes have the feeling that some of them are living in the streets the video games that have intoxicated them.”

Macron urged parents to keep teenagers at home to quell rioting, saying that many of those arrested are young. “It is the parents’ responsibility to keep them at home, and therefore it is important for everyone’s peace of mind that parental responsibility can be fully exercised,” he said.

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