Police battle armed vigilantes in fourth night of violence in Dijon

Dozens of people armed with crow bars and knuckledusters gathered in Dijon on Monday night saying they were defending their community, after three days of what appeared to be revenge expeditions led by members of the Chechen community, in apparent retaliation for an attack on a Chechen youth.

Dijon, Monday evening © твиттер @Alchechnya

The hooded men from the low-income neighbourhood of Les Grésilles, fired into the air, destroyed video surveillance cameras and set fire to cars and dustbins, according to police.

A team of French television journalists was confronted. The driver of their vehicle was assaulted and the car was damaged and thrown on a flaming barricade, according to police authorities.

Police had to call in re inforcements. They arrested four people and order was restored by ten oclock on Monday evening.

For three days over the weekend, dozens of Chechen men had gathered in Dijon town centre, and later in the Grésailles district, to conduct targeted attacks in what appeared to be a settling of scores.

It seems as though there were calls on social media for members of the Chechen communiity to avenge an attack on a Chechen youth committed by people of North African background,  said the Dijon Prosecutor Eric Mathais.

On Monday, according to the police, the hooded men were not from outside the city, but “from Dijon”.

'Rough justice'

Interior minister Christophe Castaner said the violence was “inacceptable” and he promised a “firm response”.

An investigation into the events is underway.

Socialist Mayor and former minister François Rebsamen, speaking ahead of local elections on Sunday expressed his concern over events.

“The course of justice is too slow and the police do not have the means to do their job the Chechen community came here to impose its own justice. This is no longer a Republic when that’s how things are handled,” he said.