France captain Kylian Mbappe says the “violence must stop” as protests grip the country following the death of a teenager shot by police.
France has seen nights of unrest after Nahel M, 17, was killed as he drove away from a traffic stop on Tuesday.
“Violence solves nothing, especially when it inevitably turns against those who are expressing it,” Mbappe posted on his Instagram story.
The 24-year-old called for “peaceful and constructive” protests.
More than 900 arrests were made on Thursday night alone, officials said, with the violence continuing on Friday. The government announced it would deploy 45,000 police officers in a bid to contain further violence.
From Lille and Roubaix in the north to Marseille in the south, shops have been ransacked, streets badly damaged and cars set on fire.
Paris St-Germain forward Mbappe won the World Cup with France in 2018 and was handed the captaincy by manager Didier Deschamps in March.
His statement, apparently speaking on behalf of the France team, added: “Like all French people we were marked and shocked by the death of young Nahel.”
Mbappe said that the France players, many of whom come from working-class neighbourhoods like Nahel, share “the feelings of sadness and pain”.
Mbappe was raised in Bondy, a northeastern suburb of Paris.
He said the players “could not remain silent” as they called for the “time of violence to give way to that of mourning, dialogue and reconstruction”.
Meanwhile, Tour de France organisers say they are prepared to adapt to any situation amid the unrest in the country.
The Tour starts in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday before moving into France on Monday.
Race director Christian Prudhomme said: “We are in constant liaison with the State services and we are following the situation and how it has been evolving. Depending on what happens we will adapt if needed.”
