In France, approximately 150 individuals were arrested during the night of Wednesday as the nation experiences widespread unrest. This follows the death of a 17-year-old boy at the hands of police officers on Tuesday morning. The violence spread across Parisian suburbs, with instances of cars being set on fire and shops being raided. Furthermore, there were reports of an attack on a prison in Fresnes using fireworks. Here is what you need to know about the situation.
The catalyst for the unrest in France was the shooting of Nahel M, a 17-year-old boy, who was killed at close range on Tuesday morning while attempting to drive away from the police in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. A viral video on social media shows the incident occurring during a traffic stop, where one officer can be seen pointing a gun at the driver. As the car starts to drive away, the officer fires the gun, resulting in a crash that fatally wounded Nahel. Two other individuals were present in the car during the incident, one of whom was arrested, while the other fled. The circumstances leading up to the event and the interaction between the officers and Nahel remain unclear, but it sparked widespread anger in France.
Following Nahel’s death, protests erupted throughout the country, with unrest being reported in various areas such as Lille, Amiens, Dijon, and Toulouse. The Pablo-Picasso district of Nanterre experienced particularly violent clashes, with cars being set on fire and the police responding with tear gas. Nahel is the third person to be killed in a police shooting in France in 2023, and a change in French law in 2017 has expanded the circumstances under which officers can use firearms. According to reports, there has been an increase in police shootings involving moving vehicles since this change, with a majority of the victims being Black or Arab, according to Reuters.
High-profile figures, including French soccer player Kylian Mbappe, have expressed their concerns and condolences over the incident. Nahel’s family, represented by a lawyer, is calling for murder charges against the officer involved and has requested the investigation to be conducted in a different region to ensure impartiality. The family has also rejected claims from the police that the officers felt threatened.
The officer who shot Nahel claimed that he fired in self-defense because he believed his life was in danger. Currently, the officer is in custody on charges of “voluntary homicide,” and the prosecutor in the case has stated that the legal requirements for the use of a weapon were not met.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the shooting of Nahel as “unforgivable” but also condemned the riots, calling for calm. He expressed solidarity with Nahel’s family and emphasized the importance of justice being served swiftly. Two investigations are underway, one into the killing by a public official and another into the driver’s actions and alleged attempt to harm an officer.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned the riots, describing them as a “night of unbearable violence.” He announced legal action against a police union called France Police for publishing a tweet that applauded the officers involved in the shooting. The tweet also suggested that Nahel’s parents were at fault for failing to educate their son. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne expressed shock at the footage of the intervention, stating that it appeared to violate the rules of engagement for French police forces.
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