220 burning cars in Strasbourg

Police in Strasbourg have detained 40 people suspected of arson in the western parts of the city on New Year’s Eve, TASS reports. According to preliminary data, 220 vehicles were destroyed by the fire, according to Dernieres Nouvelles d ‘Alsace. Several law enforcement officials were injured while quelling the riots.

“We haven’t had this situation for years”, said Strasbourg’s deputy mayor, Robert Erman, for security. “I have never seen them do this: cars are burning in parking lots under the windows of houses. All neighborhoods of Strasbourg were affected in one way or another by street riots. ”

Social network users post footage of a night of arrays of inverted and burning cars in the middle of the streets. The newspaper notes that while the Lower Rhine Department’s prefecture does not specify the exact number of machines destroyed, it can be said that the situation is at least twice as bad as the previous year. Five other French cities have had similar incidents.

A year ago, on December 11, 2018, a terrorist attack was committed in Strasbourg, killing five.