France counts the cost of a week of riots and looting

After a week of rioting sparked by the fatal shooting of a 17-year old by a police officer, French authorities have released statistics showing the extent and estimated cost of the damage caused. 3,915 people have been arrested.

Riot police officers walk past a charred merry-go-round after a march for Nahel, Thursday, 29 June, 2023 in a park in Nanterre where the 17-year-old was shot dead by police. AP - Michel Euler

An estimated 1,105 public and private buildings have been burned or looted nationwide, and cars and buses torched from the start of rioting on the night of 27 June through to 5:00am Tuesday 4 July, according to Ministry of the Interior data seen by AFP news agency.

The damage could exceed that of the 2005 riots, sparked by the deaths of two teenagers in an electrical substation following a police chase in Clichy-sous-Bois, north of Paris. 

Police stations, town halls targeted

Some 269 police stations and gendarmeries – seen as symbols of the state – have been attacked.

The Ile-de-France region estimates rioters targeted around 100 public facilities, including 36 municipal police stations, 18 town halls or their annexes, a creche, two community centres, three cultural centres and two media libraries. 

Major damage to 60 schools

Around 60 schools have suffered major damage, 10 of which were completely or partially destroyed, according to the Ministry of Education.

A total of 243 schools have been damaged, amounting to “tens of millions of euros" Education Minister Pap Ndiaye said.

The Ile-de-France region said secondary schools in the Paris region had been largely spared – one secondary school hall was ransacked, three secondary schools had seen fires and a fifth school damaged.

Nearly 80 post offices "were unable to reopen due to destruction or risks to staff and customers" following the rioting, La Poste told France’s AFP news agency on Tuesday.

Significant damage was caused in some post offices where mail and parcels had been destroyed in the fires.

One hundred and fifty of France’s 7,000 post offices were damaged and 80 of La Banque Postale ATMs destroyed.

1,000 businesses affected

"More than 1,000 shops have been vandalised, attacked or set on fire", Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.

Of the 200 or so food shops affected, 30 had been torched, Le Maire said. Most have since reopened. A few dozen clothing shops were looted but would reopen this weekend.

The sale period in France has been extended by a week through to 1 August to allow shops to catch up on lost business.

Around 20 sports halls linked to chain stores were hit and have not reopened, 60 sports equipment stores looted, a dozen DIY shops and several dozen fast food outlets were also hit.

Most of the shops targeted, 436, were tobacconists. Three quarters were looted and 10 percent completely destroyed. The tobacconists’ confederation has evaluated the damage at more than €15 million.

The French Banking Federation (FBF) said 370 of their branches had been hit, 40 percent in the Paris region. 

Buses burnt, tramway stations destroyed

A total of 39 buses and one T6 tram have been burnt since 28 June, the Ile-de-France region said, putting the total damage at €16 million.

Bus depots were set on fire in five towns in the Ile-de-France region: Aubervilliers, Evry, Le Blanc-Mesnil, Dugny and Savigny-sur-Orge, along with the town of Provins around 100kms east of the capital.

In Paris, 10 tramway stops were destroyed at a cost of €2 million.

Some 5,892 vehicles were set on fire across France up to 5.30 am on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said.

The bill

According to Florence Lustman, President of France Assureurs, the 5,800 insurance claims filed so far will probably cost insurers “at least 280 million euros", adding that many more claims are expected.

In comparison, the three weeks of rioting in 2005 saw insurers billed €204 million.

Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, head of the Medef employers’ union, said there could be "more than a billion euros". worth of damage to businesses.

Human cost

About 700 members of the security forces have been injured since the riots began, according to the Interior Ministry, although no serious injuries have been reported.

It has provided no official tally of injuries to members of the public. 

According to the latest Ministry of Justice figures, 3,915 people have been arrested nationwide since Friday – 374 have appeared in court and 120 handed prison sentences.

On Monday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 60 percent of those arrested up until then had no criminal record and the average age was 17.

Only 16 arrests were made overnight on Tuesday, suggesting the unrest is waning.