France has deployed 45,000 police officers in response with reports emerging that situation is chaotic in cities like Marseille and Lyon.

Marseille Marina is set to host sailing events next year at the Games while Stade Vélodrome will stage men's and women's football.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin condemned the "unacceptable violence in Lyon and Marseille", where public transport was stopped yesterday.

Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan has requested for additional troops in the city where more than 80 arrests were made after buildings and vehicles were torched and shops looted.

According to Le Parisien, "five to eight" hunting rifles were stolen from a shop in Marseille.

The city was supposed to host a Pride festival today, that has now been cancelled.

"In Marseille, the scenes of looting and violence are unacceptable," he wrote on Twitter.

"I strongly condemn these acts of vandalism and call on the State to immediately dispatch additional law enforcement forces."

Police violence and racism has been a recurring theme in France and the nationwide protests erupted after Nahel M was shot by police during a traffic stop in Paris.

The United Nations urged France to address its "deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement" since the killing.

French President Emmanuel Macron has denied systemic racism in French law enforcement agencies.

World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé put out a statement on social media, calling for the riots to end.

Mbappé paid condolences to the boy's family and added that "violence solves nothing".

"Violence solves nothing, even less when it inevitably and tirelessly turns against those who express it, their families, loved ones and neighbours," he wrote.

"It is your property that you are destroying, your neighbourhoods, your cities, your places of fulfilment and proximity.

"In this context of extreme tension, we cannot remain silent and our civic conscience encourages us to call for appeasement, awareness and accountability.

"That of social actors, parents, big or small brothers and sisters in our neighbourhoods, who must work to restore peace to our cities."

Lyon was among the worst cities affected with buildings and businesses vandalised.

Authorities claim around 30 arrests were made for theft in the city.

More than 2,500 fires were reported by the Interior Ministry across France.

It was also reported that police and firefighters have been injured, including 79 overnight.

Meanwhile, the funeral for Nahel is underway near Nanterre with Le Monde reporting that "a big number" of friends and family have turned up to pay their respects.