New Year celebrations in France were marred by a series of car burnings in which over 650 vehicles were set ablaze, the country’s interior ministry said.
"The number of burned cars shows that this phenomenon, as unacceptable as it is, continues to exist. A total of 650 cars were set ablaze while last year there were 602 such cases," TASS cited the ministry as saying.
However, the ministry reported an overall trend of decline in the car burnings, which have effectively become an annual event in French suburbs since the 2005 riots. "In the past five years, the number of torched vehicles dropped by 20%, the ministry said.
Security has been tough on New Year’s eve around France, with more than 100,000 police officers, firemen and civilian activists on duty to prevent major disturbances.
