By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Following days of riots arising from the killing of a teenager by the police, authorities in France on Sunday banned the sale, possession and transport of fireworks during the July 14 national holiday weekend.
“In order to prevent the risk of serious disturbances to public order during the July 14 festivities, the sale, possession, transport, and use of pyrotechnical articles and fireworks are banned until July 15 inclusively,” said a government decree published in the Official Journal on Sunday.
Fireworks were among the weapons used by angry protesters during the unrest that exploded in France after a police officer shot dead a 17-year-old during a traffic stop on June 27 near Paris.
The ban does not extend to professionals or municipalities that are organising traditional fireworks for the Bastille Day celebrations, the decree added.
Worried about a possible resurgence of rioting, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told the daily Le Parisien on Saturday that the government would deploy “massive means to protect the French” during the national holiday.
Fireworks displays are an annual feature of Bastille Day celebrations. They are also often used during protests in the country.
The police killing in the Paris suburb of Nanterre of Nahel M., who had Algerian roots, sparked France’s worst urban violence since 2005.
More than 3,700 people were taken into police custody in connection with the protests since Nahel’s death, including at least 1,160 minors, according to official figures.
