Is France considering an internet shutdown after riots, mayor’s house set on fire with family inside?

Multiple media outlets have reported that after six straight nights of riots in France, the country’s interior minister has posted a statement announcing a partial ban on the internet after hundreds were arrested for protesting the brutal murder of 17-year-old Nahel, a French national of African descent.

However, the reports remain unconfirmed, being carried only by Asian news outlets like Samaa and Indian publication Scroll.

The protests in France continue to grow stronger, with Sunday witnessing Paris mayor Vincent Jeanbrun’s house being set on fire, injuring his wife and children, who were inside sleeping.

Writing on Twitter, Jeanbrun revealed that rockets were thrown at his house as they fled, calling the attack an “assassination attempt” and “unspeakable cowardice”.

“A line has been crossed,” he wrote. “If my priority today is to take care of my family, my determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than before.”

According to Jeanbrun, a car was used to ram through the gates of his family’s home, and then the vehicle was set on fire which then spread towards the house.

The mayor also revealed that a murder investigation has been launched against the perpetrators behind the violent attack.

The protests in France began last Sunday after the brutal death of Nahel, reigniting long standing accusations of racism and police brutality within the French police.

According to Al-Jazeera, the French Interior Minister reportedly deployed 45,000 police officials along with helicopters and armed vehicles. Around 700 people have been arrested since the protests began.