This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
Violence erupted in Dijon, France, from Friday to Monday, after an assault on a 16-year-old Chechen boy sparked reprisal raids by the community.
Scenes of unrest, including hooded men brandishing guns or clubs, shocked the country and raised questions over whether security forces had been too passive.
Regional prosecutor Eric Mathais announced early morning raids at several addresses across France, including Dijon.
Those detained are already known to police and include a man suspected of being behind the first appeal on social networks for organised reprisals, sources said.
Residents of the low-income district of Gresilles, where the violence focused, claimed they felt abandoned by the security forces and went out on the street only to defend themselves.
"I have nothing to hide. Yes, I took up a stick, but to defend my family," Malik, a father of three children, told AFP. "The police did nothing. We were abandoned so I acted."
Malik, a father of three children, told AFP. "I have nothing to hide. Yes, I took up a stick, but to defend my family," Malik said. "The police did nothing. We were abandoned so I acted." French authorities vowed a tough response and sent police reinforcements, and the past two nights have been calm.
