In the working-class Parisian suburb of Nanterre, protesters engaged in clashes with the police and set cars on fire on Wednesday.
As reported by Reuters, this unrest occurred for a second consecutive night following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy during a traffic stop in the area.
The incident involving the use of lethal force against the teenager, who had North African heritage, has reinforced the long-standing perception of police brutality in the ethnically diverse suburbs of France’s major cities.
As the night progressed, a stretch of overturned vehicles blazed while fireworks were directed towards the police lines on Nanterre’s Avenue Pablo Picasso.
Protests escalated into clashes between the police and demonstrators in multiple cities across France. In the northern city of Lille and the southwestern city of Toulouse, as well as in Amiens, Dijon, and the Essonne administrative department near Paris, unrest was reported, according to a police spokesperson.
French media outlets covered incidents in various other locations within the greater Paris region. Videos circulated on social media displaying a large number of fireworks being aimed at the Montreuil town hall, situated on the eastern outskirts of Paris.
Earlier, President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting “unexplainable and inexcusable”.
A police officer is currently under investigation for voluntary homicide due to his involvement in shooting the young individual. Prosecutors have stated that the officer failed to follow an order to stop his vehicle.
In response to the unrest, the interior ministry has appealed for calm and announced the mobilization of 2,000 police personnel in the Paris region.
Rights organizations have accused law enforcement agencies in France of harboring systemic racism, a claim that President Macron has previously denied.
A video shared on social media, verified by Reuters, shows two police officers beside the car, a Mercedes AMG, with one shooting at the driver at close range as the car pulled away. He died shortly afterwards from his wounds, the local prosecutor said.
“You have a video that is very clear: a police officer killed a young man of 17 years. You can see that the shooting is not within the rules,” said Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer for the family.
Lawmakers held a minute’s silence in the National Assembly, where Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the shooting “seems clearly not to comply with the rules.”
The family has filed a legal complaint against the officers for homicide, complicity in homicide and false testimony, the lawyer said.
In a video shared on TikTok, a woman identified as the victim’s mother called for a memorial march in Nanterre on Thursday. “Everyone come, we will lead a revolt for my son,” she said.
Tuesday’s killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France so far in 2023, down from a record 13 last year, a spokesperson for the national police said.
According to a Reuters count, there were three similar killings in 2021 and two in 2020. The majority of victims since 2017 were found to be Black or of Arab descent.
In response to the incident, France’s human rights ombudsman has initiated an investigation into the death. This marks the sixth inquiry of its kind in 2022 and 2023, focusing on comparable incidents.
President Macron’s comments were notably candid, which is uncommon in a country where politicians at higher levels frequently refrain from criticizing the police due to voters’ concerns about security, Reuters reported,
Two prominent police unions have defended the detained police officer, asserting that he should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The officer has faced criticism from his opponents, who claim that he is lenient towards drug dealers and minor criminals.
He has implemented measures to combat urban crime, such as granting police officers increased power to issue fines. Prior to the onset of the second night of violence, some residents in Nanterre had expressed optimism that the unrest would quickly subside. “To revolt like we did yesterday won’t change things, we need to discuss and talk,” local resident Fatima said.
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Updated: 29 Jun 2023, 06:17 AM IST