France sees protests and arson across the country after police shot a teenager

France witnessed a third consecutive night (27 June-29 June) of riots as major cities, including Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon and Paris, were engulfed in unrest following the killing of a 17-year-old by a police officer in Nanterre, a working-class town on the outskirts of Paris. The point-blank shooting (on Tuesday, June 27) of Nahel M, which was caught on camera sparked protests against police conduct and racial inequality in France.

The protests turned violent at multiple places as multiple instances of arson, clashes, loot, and violence have been reported from the country.

In reaction to growing instability, the government increased the deployment from 10,000 to 40,000 security personnel yesterday(June, 29) across the country, bracing up for the situation at hand and the nights to come. These forces also include units from the French Counter-terrorism force.

🔴 ALERTE : la BRI intervient à #Nanterre alors que la tension ne retombe pas depuis plusieurs heures. @CLPRESSFR pic.twitter.com/UiFZ78PEUc

— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) June 29, 2023

Raging violent protests

• As curfew is imposed at several localities in different cities, the protests have disrupted intra-city transport, resulting in the closure of trams and busses in Compiègne, Paris, Clamart and Savigny-le-Temple.
• Buildings were marked with the words "Vengeance for Nahel," and a bank in Nanterre was set ablaze last evening, only to be extinguished by firefighters.

#France | Yamaha Bike Showroom looted by rioters.#TNJNews #Francia #Paris #RiotsFrance #Emeutes #Nahel #Nanterre pic.twitter.com/IbKZzSLlhA

— Top Notch Journal (@topnotchjournal) June 30, 2023

• Locations such as a bus depot in a northern suburb of Paris and a tram in Lyon experienced fires, while police in Marseille resorted to firing tear gas grenades during clashes with young protesters at Le Vieux Port.
• Videos of stores along the Rue de Rivoli in central Paris, adjacent to the Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries, witnessed acts of vandalism and theft. Instances of looting have been reported from Zara in Central Paris. A Nike store in the Westfield Forum des Halles was vandalised after a large group of people gathered.

🇫🇷 ALERTE INFO - Des pillages sont en cours en plein cœur de Paris, au Forum de #Châtelet Les Halles. Une boutique Nike est prise pour cible. (témoins) #émeutes pic.twitter.com/8wiyT5UPsG

— Mediavenir (@Mediavenir) June 29, 2023

• In the northern town of Montreuil, some young individuals armed with batons have rampaged through a pharmacy, McDonald's, ATM, and several other shops, causing extensive destruction. Law enforcement responded by employing tear gas, according to reports from Le Monde.
• More than 400 protesters have been detained or arrested by the police, reported The Guardian.
• The violent protests have spread to neighbouring Belgium too. 14 arrests have been made in Brussels, according to RTBF.

What happened?

• In Nanterre, a working-class town on the outskirts of Paris where a 17-year-old named Nahel M, as he drove away from a traffic stop was tragically killed on Tuesday.
• The initial incidents of localised violence began on the same day and later spread out to other urban centres in France.
• The police officer who shot Nahel has apologised to the family, and has been placed under arrest after being charged with 'voluntary homicide.'

This is what triggered protests in France.

Nahel , 17, was a French citizen of Algerian and Moroccan descent.

He was fatally shot by a police officer while driving away on Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/ohzfL3VWis

— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 29, 2023

• Nahel's mother joined the protests and said she didn't blame the whole police force, but just the officer who shot at Nahel. "He saw the face of an Arab, of a little kid, he wanted to take his life," she added.
• What initially began as a peaceful vigil, called "Vengeance for Nahel," escalated into violence.

Calls for Police accountability

• This incident has reignited long-standing concerns regarding police violence and systemic racism within law enforcement agencies, as expressed by rights groups and residents of racially diverse, low-income suburbs surrounding major French cities.

Government response

• Officeholders, including President Emanuel Macron, condemned the shooting as unforgivable and convened an emergency meeting.
• He also expressed his disapproval of the ongoing unrest.
• French Interior Minister who is overseeing the protests containment, tweeted in support of 'police officers, gendarmes and firefighters who are doing a brave job.'