French youths riots continue over death in custody

Youths in the southeastern French town of Firminy burned cars and smashed shops for the third night in a row Thursday in protest over the death in police custody of a young man. The riots began late Thursday after some 200 people staged a sit-in in front of the house of the family of Mohamed Benmouna, a local 21-year-old who died Wednesday after what police said was a suicide attempt. About 150 riot police were deployed, reinforced by a helicopter, as youths went on a rampage in the town center, setting fire to a pharmacy, a bakery and several small shops. Metal grills protecting the shops and stone-throwing by local youths made it difficult for emergency services to put out the fires, local authorities said. Police said Benmouna used cords from a mattress to hang himself Monday night and fell into a coma, but Benmouna's family have expressed skepticism. They filed a lawsuit Thursday to clarify the circumstances of his death, but asked people to stay calm.