Hundreds of cars set on fire across France on New Year's Eve

Hundreds of cars were set on fire across France on New Year's Eve, although there was less violence than in past years, particularly towards the police, the interior minister said on Saturday.

Some 874 cars were set on fire, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, nearly 450 less than at the turn of the year 2019/2020. Police detained 441 people.

Cars also burned in Strasbourg, a city which saw violent riots two years ago on New Year's Eve. At least two police officers were lightly injured when people shot fireworks at them.

Cars have been set on fire in France on New Year's Eve since the early 1990s, according to research by pollster IFOP.

It found that vehicles are set alight, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods, for different reasons, ranging from personal disputes to anger at politicians to insurance fraud.

The number of cars set on fire was particularly high at the turn of the year 2007/2008, after then president Nicolas Sarkozy took office. Sarkozy had said in 2005 that he wanted to clean the poorer districts "with a squeegee."

The number of burned cars also soared at the height of the "Yellow Vest protests" under President Emmanuel Macron.

More than 95,000 police officers and gendarmes were on duty at the turn of the year to 2022, to ensure people followed rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Interior Ministry.