French authorities called for calm on Wednesday after a night of violence in the Paris region, notably in Nanterre, where Nahel, 17, was killed by police after refusing to comply. This drama arouses strong emotion across the country.
Deputies and members of the government observed at the beginning of the afternoon a minute of silence in the hemicycle of the National Assembly, in tribute to the teenager.
At first, police sources said that a police officer had fired when a vehicle drove into two police bikers on Tuesday, in Nanterre, in the Hauts-de-Seine department (west of Paris).
Video
But a video on social networks, authenticated by AFP, showed that one of the two police officers held the driver at gunpoint and had fired at point-blank range when the car had restarted. We hear “you’re going to take a bullet in the head”, without being able to identify the author of this sentence. Hit in the chest, Nahel M. died shortly afterwards.
“The shocking images (…) show an intervention which clearly does not comply with the rules of engagement of our law enforcement forces”, estimated Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne while President Macron denounced an act ” inexplicable” and “inexcusable”.
Police forces mobilized
Major police unions blasted the executive’s statements, emphasizing the “presumption of innocence”. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the mobilization in the evening of 2,000 members of the police in Paris and the inner suburbs, 800 more than the previous night.
In Nanterre, where the clashes were the most violent, “several public and private buildings, including schools, suffered significant and unacceptable damage, sometimes irreparable”, deplored the town hall, calling for an end to “this destructive spiral”.
“Broken Trust”
In front of the municipal health center, Juliette (who requested anonymity), 55, says that she has “not slept” because of the clashes near her home and says she feels “sadness, anger and incomprehension”. Nahel “was not a delinquent,” she said, adding that she had met him many times in a neighborhood recreation center.
“Trust is broken between young people and the police, in both directions,” laments Fatiha Abdouni, co-founder of a local association that supports mothers. The clashes, which began in the late afternoon, ended around 3:30 a.m., spreading to several municipalities all around Paris.
Troubles in the provinces too
Some disturbances and acts of vandalism have also been observed in the provinces, according to a police source. Early Wednesday evening, in a sensitive district of Toulouse (south-west), a hundred individuals threw projectiles at the police and a light vehicle was set on fire, according to a police source.
In Nantes (west), a hundred people gathered around 6:00 p.m. in front of the police station to cries of “Justice for Nahel”. In Lille (north), a hundred demonstrators also gathered in front of the prefecture against “police crimes”, and an action of “stoning” was underway around 8:00 p.m., according to a police source, who deplored “a vehicle burnt”.
Nahel’s mother called for a white march Thursday at 2:00 p.m. in front of the Hauts-de-Seine prefecture.
Thirteen deaths in 2022
This case has reignited controversy over the action of law enforcement in France, where a record number of 13 deaths were recorded in 2022 after refusals to comply during roadside checks.
“I hurt my France. An unacceptable situation,” wrote Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG) star footballer Kylian Mbappé on Twitter.
Another French international, FC Barcelona defender Jules Koundé, lamented a “dramatic” situation. “May justice worthy of the name honor the memory of this child,” actor Omar Sy also tweeted.
Police officer questioned
The 38-year-old police officer suspected of the fatal shooting is being questioned by the General Inspectorate of the National Police as part of an open investigation into intentional homicide. His police custody has been extended, we learned on Wednesday from the Nanterre prosecutor’s office.
The tragedy also provoked many reactions from political leaders. “Enough! These murders engage the authority of the State! This police must be completely refounded, its murderers punished”, tweeted the leader of La France insoumise (radical left) Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The representatives of the National Rally (extreme right) Jordan Bardella and Sébastien Chenu invoked a “tragedy” and asked to respect “the time of the investigation”, as well as “the presumption of innocence”.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
2023-06-28 22:51:01
#air #polluted #United #States #Canadian #fires
