France is witnessing large-scale protests, looting, and rioting by thousands of people country-wide, sparked by the death of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who was shot by a police officer in Nanterre.
On the one hand, the killing of the boy, who was of Algerian and Moroccan descent, has highlighted concerns surrounding differential treatment and racism by French law enforcement agencies. On the other hand, the violent protests have uncovered long-festering frustration and pent-up aggression among certain groups of immigrants in France.
Clashes break out at a march outside of Paris for the teen killed by French police, as authorities use tear gas and rubber bullets.
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 29, 2023
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The Incident
Last Tuesday, two French motorbiked policemen tried to stop a Mercedes speeding in a bus lane at 8:00 A.M. in Nanterre, a suburban region of France.
After a chase, the two officers got off their bikes and reportedly pointed guns at the driver, asking him to turn the ignition off.
One of the passengers in the vehicle said that the police officers thrice hit Nahel with the butt of their guns, leaving the 17-year-old stunned.
The passenger said that a third blow led Nahel to take his foot off the brake, causing the vehicle to move forward, after which one of the officers shot Nahel in his chest.
However, the official police account said that they were trying to stop the driver from fleeing, not to hurt the passengers.
The prosecutor’s office has held that the officer had no legal grounds to open fire on the teenager, and the guilty officer has been arrested on charges of voluntary homicide.
The mayor of a Paris suburb says his home was rammed by a vehicle and set alight while his wife and children were asleep inside. https://t.co/gkWVWIHTku
— CBC News (@CBCNews) July 2, 2023
Wave of Protests Across France, Mayor’s House Attacked
Despite action by the authorities, France is experiencing a wave of protests predominantly comprising youths clashing with the police.
Protestors have set cars on fire, burnt trash and buildings, and launched fireworks to express their discontentment and rage. The demonstrations, which have grown in size, are seeing a crackdown by the police force.
Around 2,000 cars have been burnt and nearly 500 buildings in dozens of French cities have been damage despite a ban on “large-scale events” in the country.
Angry protestors also rammed a car into the house of Vincent Jeanburns, the mayor of L’Haÿ-les-Roses, a town south of Paris, and set his home on fire while his family was still inside. Jeanburns called it an act of “unspeakable cowardice.”
Widespread Looting; Violent Protests Spread to Switzerland, Germany
France has deployed around 45,000 police officers to tackle the situation, and approximately 3,000 protestors have been detained. Specialised units, armoured vehicles, and helicopters are patrolling the streets of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the protestors attacked ten shopping malls, over 200 supermarkets, 250 tobacco shops, and 250 bank outlets.
Protests over the death also spread to neighbouring Switzerland and Belgium, where clashes between police and the protestors were reported.
Meanwhile, Nahel’s aunt Hatifa and his grandmother have called to end the violence in the country. Hatifa said, “I don’t want people to get hurt. The family is very much against the violence.”
President Emmanuel #Macron on Saturday informed Berlin he was postponing a state visit to deal with the urban rioting that has rocked #France for the last four nights, as the 17-year-old whose killing by police sparked the protests was laid to rest.https://t.co/kP3w5JqbJZ
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) July 2, 2023
Macron Cancels Germany Visit, Calls for Parents’ Cooperation
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the death of the teenage driver and called it “inexplicable.”
Macron also cancelled his state visit to Germany, a first by a French head of state in 23 years. He called upon parents of youths and social media platforms to help curb the violence in the country.
The protests come as Macron is looking to press ahead with his second mandate.
Just prior to this, the country witnessed demonstrations lasting over six months to protest Macron’s controversial pension reforms, which would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030.
Global Reactions
Amid the protests, several countries, including China and UK, have issued travel warnings to their citizens. The Chinese Consulate General in Marseille complained to France after a bus carrying a Chinese tour group was attacked by protesters.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry extended its condolences to Nahel’s family, saying in a statement their “grief and sorrow are widely shared in our country” and that it will “closely follow the developments of this tragic case.”
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in South Africa taunted Western media for ignoring the protests in France and instead highlighting the Wagner revolt as an attempt for coup. The embassy tweeted, “Strange thing, no mainstream media call it an attempt of regime change in France.”
Speaking on the incident, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights remarked, “We call on the authorities to ensure use of force by police to address violent elements in demonstrations always respects the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution and accountability.”
Activists in France describe the "huge injustice" they see on the streets of Paris, as protests over the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel continue. pic.twitter.com/f0K9QSIu3a
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) July 2, 2023
France’s Racism Problem
The current widespread protests have unveiled the country’s racial tensions, with calls for increased scrutiny of the policy for treating minorities with a heavy hand.
The authorities have long denied any racism in the police force. The occurrence also brings the country’s model of secularism, which bars any show of religious symbols under scanner as it affects minority communities disproportionately.
The UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said, “This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement.”
Over the years, several international bodies, like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have called on France to address “systematic discrimination,” particularly “the use of ethnic profiling” during identity checks.
Nevertheless, the French foreign ministry has refuted allegations of racism or systemic discrimination.