French cities hit by riots

In the French city of Lyon, hundreds of residents have marched through their working class neighbourhood to protest the killing in police custody of a twenty-four year old resident.

The local mayor Gerard Collomb promised the protestors, led by the victim's family, that the killing would not have been in vain.

He said the state prosecutors decision to investigate the policeman for possible murder, proved that justice works in France.

Despite an appeal for calm by the Interior Minister, clashes were reported in Dammarie-les-Lys a town outside Paris, between police and demonstrators.

They were protesting against the death of a teenager who failed to stop at a police road-block.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service