At Least Nine Detained in France After Death in Police Custody

At least nine people were detained on Thursday in the French department of Val d'Oise, as clashes triggered by the death of a young man in police custody continued there for the second day in a row, a spokesman for the local authorities said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, a 24-year-old man died during transportation to a police station in Val d'Oise.

Local residents gathered in front of the police station on Thursday to voice their outrage at the man's death. They lit several cars and dumpsters in the vicinity of the police station on fire. They also were hurling Molotov cocktails at police, local municipality and a nursery school.

"180 police officers and gendarmes were mobilized to tackle 200 violent protesters… Nine people were detained for… throwing Molotov cocktails and attempt to set a municipal administration of Beaumont on fire," Jean-Simon Merandat was quoted as saying by the France Info radio station.