During the early hours of Thursday morning, overnight riots in France spread following the death of a young man shot by police, resulting in the arrest of 150 people. French President Emmanuel Macron called this “violence” “unjustifiable.” The clashes have occurred in police stations, schools, and town halls, leading to tensions and a police response in several areas of the country, including Lyon, Toulouse, and Lille.
On Tuesday, a 17-year-old named Nahel was fatally wounded by a police officer shot during a traffic stop in Nanterre, near Paris. The prosecutor’s office has pointed out that the legal conditions for the use of the weapon were not met and has requested remand for voluntary manslaughter for the police officer suspected of firing the shot.
Tension has risen in the suburbs of the French capital, where authorities have deployed 2,000 officers to contain the unrest. Overnight, cars, schools, police stations, and even the town hall of Garges-lès-Gonesse, north of Paris, have been set on fire. The youths who clashed with police for more than three hours chanted slogans in honor of Nahel and expressed their discontent at the way they are treated.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, denounced the unacceptable violence against the symbols of the Republic and criticized those who did not call for calm.These disturbances occur just before a march in memory of Nahel, called by her mother.
Nahel’s death has sparked outrage in France, from President Macron to soccer player Kylian Mbappé, and has reignited the debate over police violence. A verified video shows how an officer restrains the driver and shoots him at point-blank range as he pulls off, causing his death. This tragic incident is reminiscent of the 2005 riots in the suburbs, after two teenagers were electrocuted to death while fleeing police in Clichy-sous-Bois. In this tense context, some right-wing politicians have called for the activation of a state of emergency in the affected areas, while the government seeks to remain firm in the face of the riots and at the same time defuse the situation to avoid an escalation of tension.