Police reinforcements were sent to the usually tranquil French city of Dijon after dozens of Chechens armed with baseball bats and guns gathered there for a fourth day, reports The Times.
A car and dustbins were set ablaze and members of the Chechen diaspora fired AK47 rifles into the air in the latest in a series of raids apparently against youths of North African origin on council estates in the city in eastern France.
One resident posted messages on social media saying the capital of Burgundy resembled a scene from Grand Theft Auto, the violent video game series.
The Chechens said they had come from all over France and also from Belgium and Germany to avenge a 16-year-old member of their community who they said was attacked and injured. Many said they were seeking the “north Africans” they blamed for the attack.
Officials said that six people had been injured in violence in the Grésilles district of Dijon since Friday, including a pizza restaurant owner shot in the back and a drunk driver who appeared to try to run down a crowd of 140 Chechens before crashing.
Read more of this report from The Times (subscription required).