Violence in Marseille Puts Pressure on Police Minister Nuñez
Listen to the story
There was big violence in Marseille, France, on 17 October. Many people went into the streets. They broke things and took things from shops. This is called looting.
The authorities say more than 30,000 people joined the looting. The authorities are the people in government who have power to control a country or city.
One police officer said: "The police got massacred." This means the police had a very bad and hard time. They could not stop the violence.
Now, a man named Nuñez is in trouble. He is the minister for police. People want to know what he will do next. This is called being "attendu au tournant", which means people are watching him closely.
In the center of Marseille, many people are angry. One person said: "They left us alone." People feel the government did not help them during the violence.
The city now needs to clean up and fix the damage. People want answers about why this happened.
Vocabulary15 words
- looting
- taking things from shops without paying, during trouble
- authorities
- people in government with power
- minister
- an important person who leads part of the government
- violence
- hurting people or breaking things with force
- massacred
- badly beaten or hurt
- unrest
- when people are angry and cause trouble
- residents
- people who live in a place
- abandoned
- left alone with no help
- riot
- a big group of angry, violent people
- damage
- harm done to things
- pressure
- strong force to make someone act
- officer
- a person who works for the police
- government
- the group that runs a country
- control
- to stop or manage something
- trouble
- a difficult or bad situation
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Violence and looting 2. More than 30,000 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
There was big _____ in Marseille, France, on 17 October.
Many people went into the streets and took things from shops. This is called _____.
The _____ say more than 30,000 people joined the looting.
One police officer said the police got _____.
Nuñez is the _____ for police, and people are watching him closely.
In the center of the city, many _____ are angry.
One person said: "They left us _____."
The city now needs to fix the _____.
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