 "French Fury: How shooting of 17-year-old has led to protests and violence")
France is in an uproar yet again. Protesters are clashing with the police on the streets of Paris and many including French president Emmanuel Macron and footballer Kylian Mbappe have been left outraged. But what happened? And what has been the fallout? Let’s take a closer look: What happened? A police officer shot and killed a 17-year-old in the Nanterre suburb of Paris – not far from the business district – on Tuesday. The teenager, known as Nael, was killed during a traffic stop by the police. According to Le Monde, footage of the incident circulating on social media purportedly shows police surrounding the vehicle.
A voice is heard saying “You are going to get a bullet in the head,” according to AFP.
One officer, who has his gun drawn and pointed at the driver, fires at point-blank range when the car begins to drive off. The vehicle then moves a few feet before crashing. The newspaper reported that Nael died despite the best efforts from emergency services. [caption id=“attachment_12805472” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj
[/caption] According to The New York Times, the footage greatly differs from the initial version of events provided to the media by police sources – which claimed that one of the officers shot only after the vehicle slammed into them. The prosecutor’s office said a passenger in the car was briefly detained and released, and police are searching for another passenger who fled. What’s been the fallout? The police officer suspected of firing on Nael remains in custody and faces potential manslaughter charges, according to the Nanterre prosecutor’s office. A lawyer for Nael’s family, Yassine Bouzrou, told The Associated Press they want the police officer pursued for murder instead of manslaughter, and want the investigation handed to a different region because they fear Nanterre investigators won’t be impartial. [caption id=“attachment_12805332” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Police forces patrol in Nanterre, outside Paris, Wednesday. AP[/caption] Politico quoted Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez as saying the police officer’s behaviour ‘raises questions’ although it is possible that he felt threatened. According to The National, the IGPN national police inspectorate has opened an investigation into Nael’s death. Regional police are conducting a separate inquiry into Nael’s alleged failure to stop and attempt to kill a figure of public authority. The family’s lawyer Yassine Bouzrou was quoted as saying that footage “clearly showed a policeman killing a young man in cold blood”.
“This is a long way from any kind of legitimate defence,” he added.
Bouzrou said the family had filed a complaint against the police accusing them of ‘lying’ about the Nael’s actions. Death sparks unrest, protest Nael’s death sparked unrest in the streets of Nanterre. Residents held a protest outside the police headquarters. Some groups set alight barricades and garbage bins, smashed up a bus stop and threw firecrackers toward police, who responded with tear gas and dispersion grenades, according to videos broadcast on local media. Nael’s death unleashed anger in Nanterre and other towns, including around housing projects where many residents struggle with poverty and discrimination and feel police abuse is under-punished. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 31 people were arrested, 24 police officers injured and 40 cars burned in overnight unrest. Darmanin said 1,200 police were deployed overnight and 2,000 would be out in force Wednesday in the Paris region and around other big cities to “maintain order.” [caption id=“attachment_12805312” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Youths clash with police forces in Nanterre, outside Paris, Thursday. AP[/caption] As per Politico, Darmanin on Wednesday asked “for calm and for the truth of the judicial investigation” On Thursday, Nael’s mother called for a silent march on the square where he was killed in his honour.
“This is a revolt for my son,” she said on a video posted to Tik Tok.
Bouquets of orange and yellow roses were tied to the post where the car crashed after the shooting, on Nanterre’s Nelson Mandela Square. Condemnations pour in From government officials to celebrities, many have condemn the killing. “Nothing justifies the death of a young person,” President Macron told reporters in Marseille. Macron called the incident “inexplicable and inexcusable.”
The president called for calm and for respect for Nael’s loved ones.
Asked about police abuses, he said justice should be allowed to run its course. Speaking to Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said, “The shocking images broadcast yesterday show an intervention that clearly appears as not complying with the rules of engagement of our police forces.” CBS quoted Borne as saying “justice will be done.” Parliament Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet urged MPs to observe a minute’s silence “in memory of Nael, in support of his parents, and loved ones”, as per the outlet. Darmanin himself called the purported videos of the incident ‘extremely shocking’. French soccer star Kylian Mbappe, who grew up in the Paris suburb of Bondy, was among those who were shocked by what happened.
J’ai mal à ma France. 💙🤍💔💔💔
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 28, 2023
Une situation inacceptable.
Tout mes pensées vont pour la famille et les proches de Naël, ce petit ange parti beaucoup trop tôt.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“I hurt for my France. Unacceptable situation. All my thoughts go to the family and loved ones of Nael, this little angel gone much too soon,” he tweeted. “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and the relatives of Nahel, dead at 17 years old this morning, killed by a police officer in Nanterre. Justice … [must] honor the memory of this child,” wrote French actor Omar Sy on Twitter. According to Al Jazeera, Nael’s death is the second such incident in 2023. In June, a 19-year-old was shot and killed by a police officer in Angouleme during a traffic stop, as per The National. According to The National, police killed a record 13 people in France in 2022 for refusing to halt at traffic checks. As per Al Jazeera, the police killed three people in similar incidents in 2021 and two people in 2020. According to Reuters, the majority of victims in fatal shootings in 2022 and 2021 were of Black or Arabic origin. Death spurs calls for reform Meanwhile, some renewed calls to tackle what they see as systemic police abuse. Mathilde Emery, a 17-year-old high school student who said she knew Nael, told The New York Times, “We already have a bad perception of the police.” “It’s just disappointing.” Psychologist Sofia Berkoukeche, a resident of Nanterre, told The New York Times there has been “a general frustration with police violence”.
The 29-year-old added that the shooting was the “the last straw.”
“As a mother from Nanterre, I have a feeling of insecurity for our children,” Mornia Labssi, a local resident and anti-racism campaigner, told Al Jazeera. Politico quoted Manuel Bompard, a MP for the hard-left France Unbowed party, as saying, “Yes, a refusal to stop is against the law. But death is not one of the sanctions imposed by the penal code.” “A refusal to stop does not provide a licence to kill,” Parti Socialiste leader Olivier Faure was quoted as saying by Le Monde. BBC quoted left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon as giving his “heartfelt condolences” to Nael’s kin. “No officer has the right to kill unless in self-defence,” he tweeted. “This uncontrolled police force discredits the authority of the state. It needs to be completely overhauled,” he added. France also saw protests against racial profiling and other injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police in Minnesota. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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