French gangland shooting leads to mass brawl, leaving five injured

PARIS – A gunfight between gangs sparked a clash overnight in the city of Poitiers involving hundreds of people and leaving five people injured, French officials said Friday, highlighting the challenges the new government faces in tackling tackling violent crime.

Many French cities are plagued by drug gangs that often operate in the low-income, high-rise neighborhoods on the edge of historic city centers.

“It started with a shooting in a restaurant. It ended with a clash between rival gangs, involving hundreds of people,” French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told BFM TV, adding there were links to rival drug gangs.

Additional police forces will be sent to the area later on Friday, the local government for the region said.

Retailleau has vowed tougher measures against drug gangs and illegal immigration as the new government led by center-right Prime Minister Michel Barnier looks to shore up its support in France.

Concerns about violent crime are cited as one of the reasons why voters are choosing Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, which says it will do more than other parties to tackle crime and illegal immigration.

President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to hold early parliamentary elections in June and July resulted in a hung parliament, in which no party won an outright majority, although Le Pen’s party has one of the largest blocs in parliament. REUTERS