Chaos in Paris: Police shoot dead two as riots break out over Macron's re-election

25 April 2022, 05:46 | Updated: 25 April 2022, 07:04

Police in Paris shot and killed two people in a car amid protests over Emmanuel Macron's re-election.

The shooting took place in Pont-Neuf, in the centre of the city, just after midnight – hours after the incumbent president beat Marine Le Pen in Sunday's election.

A third person, a passenger, was injured and taken to hospital but there was no immediate suggestion the incident was linked to the vote.

Reports quoting an investigative source said: "A car came rushing towards police soon after midnight, and refused to stop.

"One of the police officers opened fire, killing two people and wounding a third."

A witness told Le Figaro: "A car was parked in the wrong direction along the Vert-Galant square on the Pont-Neuf, the police approached to control the individuals present in the vehicle by pointing automatic weapons at him.

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"The driver rushed off towards the police at full speed. The police fired immediately."

Protests broke out across France after Mr Macron took 59% of the vote to secure another five years as president.

Unrest was reported in cities including Paris, Toulouse and Lyon.

Officers in riot gear were seen having to retreat from the capital's Place de la Republique - a half hour walk from Pont Neuf - after having run at crowds.

Nobody in the car was thought to have been armed and police were not fired on by its occupants.

"It seems that they were simply in a car that was being driven erratically," the source said.

The woman who was wounded was sitting in the back when she was hit in the arm.

She was taken for "urgent treatment" as Pitie-Sapletriere hospital.

There was no immediate link to the presidential election or to a terrorist act.