France is currently in the throes of widespread riots following the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old Algerian Muslim named Nahel M. The incident, which has incited public outrage and triggered violent demonstrations in major cities nationwide, took place during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a suburb located west of Paris.
Reports indicate that Nahel M. was driving in a bus lane amidst a traffic jam when a police officer pulled him over. When Nahel M. allegedly refused to produce a license and attempted to flee the scene, the officer responded by shooting him in the left arm and chest. The Nanterre public prosecutor noted that the officer was concerned that the teenager would instigate a car chase, potentially endangering others. The officer’s lawyer stated, “The aim was to stop him, but clearly, the officer did not intend to kill the driver.”
France is having its very own George Floyd moment as massive riots, sparked by the police shooting death of a 17 year old, occur all across the country. pic.twitter.com/2wbYYW4xLe
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 29, 2023
In the wake of the shooting, riots have erupted across the country, with incidents reported from Paris to Roubaix in the north, and from Marseille in the south to Reims and Lyon. In Paris, numerous buses were set on fire and shop windows were shattered along the rue de Rivoli. A shopping mall in Drancy, a suburb of Paris, was torched, and in Marseille, the nation’s largest library was set ablaze. The headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics in Seine-Saint-Denis were also targeted and set on fire.
French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has denounced the violence, stating, “These acts are intolerable and inexcusable.” In response to the escalating situation, the French government has deployed 40,000 police officers to the streets of major cities, and 875 arrests were made on Thursday night alone.
La plus grande bibliothèque de #Marseille, l'Alcazar !? #émeutes #Nahel #Nanterre pic.twitter.com/EXcCi5VTyf
— Kâplan (@KaplanBen_Fr) June 29, 2023
Angela Diffley, France 24’s international affairs editor, commented on the escalating situation, observing, “It seems to be evolving into something akin to widespread rioting. We witnessed extensive looting and destruction of both ordinary and high-end businesses.”
France is having its very own George Floyd moment as massive riots, sparked by the police shooting death of a 17 year old, occur all across the country. pic.twitter.com/2wbYYW4xLe
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 29, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has condemned the killing of Nahel M., has previously imposed restrictions on several mosques and Muslim associations that his government accused of promoting “Islamist separatism.” Itay Lotem, a senior lecturer in French studies at the University of Westminster, characterized the events following Nahel M’s death as “almost predictable,” adding, “A police officer kills a teenager from one of the marginalized communities around Paris, sparking waves of anger. Bands of disenchanted youth take to the streets of the suburbs and target state symbols, whether they be police stations or schools.”
