A series of riots took place in July 2009 in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. On
Bastille Day
Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...
in the commune of
Montreuil Montreuil is a French place name derived from Medieval Latin , "Little Monastery".
It most often refers to Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis (aka Montreuil-sous-Bois), a French commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, Seine-St-Denis department.
It ma ...
, an eastern suburb area of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, French youths set fire to 317 cars. Thirteen police officers were injured. On 9 July many youths started a protest in
Firminy
Firminy (; ) is a commune in the Loire department in central France.
It lies on the river Ondaine, 13 km southwest of Saint-Étienne by rail.
History
The ancient name of the town was ''Firminiaco'' or ''Firminiacus'' (lit. "place of Fir ...
near
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
, after the death of a young Algerian man, Mohamed Benmouna, in police custody.
Benmouna's parents rejected the official account of suicide. Riots on Bastille day are a frequent occurrence in France as the disaffected protest high unemployment rates and failed integration policies for minorities.
More than 240 people had been arrested near Paris.
The injured officers suffered mainly from hearing difficulties after having been targeted by youths armed with fireworks and small-scale home-made explosives.
France unrest before Bastille Day
BBC News Online. July 14, 2009.
See also
* 2013 Trappes riots
* 2013 Stockholm riots
*2011 England riots
A series of riots took place between 6 and 11 August 2011 in cities and towns across England, which saw looting and arson, as well as mass deployment of police and the deaths of five people.
The protests started in Tottenham Hale, London, follo ...
* 2010 Rinkeby riots
*2007 Villiers-le-Bel riots
Riots in the Val-d'Oise department in France began on 26 November 2007, following the deaths of two teenagers (Moushin S., 15, and Larami S., 16), whose motorcycle collided with a police vehicle. The circumstances recalled those that precipitate ...
*2006 Brussels riots
Between 23 and 29 September 2006, youths of mainly immigrant descent rioted in Brussels, Belgium, causing the destruction of several shop windows and the burning of ten cars and part of a hospital. The immediate cause of the riots was anger at the ...
*2005 French riots
The 2005 French riots was a three-week long period of civil disturbances that took place in Paris#Suburbs, the suburbs of Paris and Urban area (France), other French cities in October and November 2005. These riots involved youth in violent attac ...
* 2001 England riots
References
Riots
A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
Riots
A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
Contemporary French history
Riots and civil disorder in France
Bastille Day
{{France-hist-stub