Paris urged to act after video appears to show gunmen in Nice street
The appeal over the video came on Sunday, the same day that three people were killed in violence in Marseille
A departmental police union head has called for government help and more police support amid a spate of gun violence in the Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur region
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France鈥檚 interior minister has been urged to act after a video emerged of armed men outside a residential block of flats in Nice.
Eric Ciotti, leader of the right-of-centre Les R茅publicains party said it showed individuals carrying assault rifles and pistols in the Les Moulins neighbourhood. He said the men were 鈥渨alking around holding the neighbourhood鈥�.
Investigators are now analysing the video and working to confirm its date and time. The resident who filmed the video sent it to authorities anonymously, for fear of retribution.
Police union Unit茅 SGP said it was 鈥渘ot surprised by these images鈥� and asked for reinforcements in the Nice (Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur) neighbourhood.
Union departmental secretary Laurent Martin de Fr茅mont : 鈥淲e must say, we are seeing a rise in this type of issue. We are dealing with individuals who use weapons to intimidate, and to achieve [criminal] deals.鈥�
He also asked for 鈥渁t least 100 personnel to be able to work effectively in the Les Moulins district and to ensure a police presence at all times鈥�.
Marseille murders
Later on Sunday after Mr Ciotti鈥檚 tweet, three people were killed and six injured (two seriously) in three shootouts in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rh么ne).
The shootings happened in neighbourhoods that are experiencing increased drug issues, the Bouches-du-Rh么ne prefecture. The police have now opened an inquiry into the incidents.
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The first was reported around midnight in the cit茅 of Castellas, in the 15th arrondissement. Two people died and six were injured, with one in critical condition.
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The second shooting took place on the other side of the A7 motorway, in the cit茅 of Aygalades, just before 01:00.
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The third happened near rue Vincent-Leblanc, near the Joliette neighbourhood, in the 2nd arrondissment. One victim was declared shot dead, while two more were injured, of which one was in a serious condition.
These deaths mean there have been 13 people killed by gunshots in Marseille since the start of the year, AFP news agency reports, mainly due to drug-related incidents.
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