French President Emmanuel Macron has promised "fundamental answers" in a meeting with over 200 mayors to reflect on the violence that has gripped the country for nearly a week.
Protests broke out nationwide after the recent shooting at close range of a teenager of a migrant background at a traffic stop by a police officer.
Some of protests turned violent, attacking government buildings including town halls, schools and mayors' offices. In one widely condemned incident, rioters rammed a flaming car into the house of a mayor of a Paris southern suburb, injuring his wife and one of his children.
The violence has significantly receded over the past two nights, as the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that just 72 were arrested overnight, a small number compared to over 1,300 arrested two nights before.
Addressing some 241 mayors of cities particularly struck by the riots, Macron acknowledged a significant drop in violence.
"Is it a permanent return to calm? I will be cautious, but the peak that we've seen in previous days has passed," he said.
The night before, the French president met police officers to thank them for their work during the unrest. During the meeting, he suggested quick-fire fines for the parents of children caught committing acts of vandalism or robberies.
"With the first crime, we need to find a way of sanctioning the families financially and easily," Macron said, according to comments reported by the Parisien newspaper.
Over 1,200 of the nearly 4,000 arrested since Friday are minors, according to the justice ministry. Apart from attacking government buildings, rioters have also targeted policemen, public transport and private vehicles, as well as igniting fires.
