Marseille recovers after severe rioting and looting caused widespread damage to local businesses and left many police officers injured.
Thunder and lightning recently hit Marseille. The storm followed a weekend of extreme disorder in France's second city. Many businesses now have smashed windows and boarded-up doors.
Local leaders say looters damaged over 500 shops. Most of these premises also suffered from theft. Police unions describe the situation as an apocalyptic struggle.
Meanwhile, authorities report that 118 officers suffered injuries during the riots. Police arrested 101 people in the area. A quarter of those arrested were children.
After that, officials banned public demonstrations in the city for eight hours. This order helped keep the streets quiet on Monday. Only tourists walked near the waterfront.
However, the government will enforce a new overnight curfew for minors. This rule starts on Tuesday evening in certain parts of the city. Officials hope this keeps the peace.
Also, students joined early protests to demand better school conditions. Young people like 18-year-old Maryame felt scared during the events. She described the initial march as beautiful but the later violence as terrifying.
Next, police union representative Arnaud Blaise spoke about the conflict. He called the level of violence unprecedented. He claimed that far-left agitators provoked the chaos. These groups then allowed younger people to loot local shops.
Then, Mayor Benoît Payan criticized the government response. He called the police tactics a total failure. He warned that more looting could happen without major changes to current strategies.
Finally, citizens remain deeply concerned about the future. Resident Chantal Bellanger fears for the young people involved. She believes many feel abandoned by public services and education. The city now waits to see if the calm will last.