The relatives and friends of Nahel, the 17-year-old killed by police in a traffic stop, attended the private funeral in Nanterre this Saturday, but hundreds of people paid their respects and asked for “justice” next to the mosque where the funerals took place . . Officials warned those in attendance — including journalists — against taking photos. After the fourth night of rioting, French President Emmanuel Macron, despite 45,000 police on the streets, has postponed the state visit he planned to make to Germany next Sunday.
“Taking into account the internal situation, the President of the Republic said he wanted to stay in France for the next few days,” the Élysée Palace indicated, confirmation of the postponement of Macron’s state visit to Germany. The visit would last until Tuesday, a new date has not yet been set. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Macron spoke to on the phone this Saturday, said he regretted the cancellation of the trip, but fully understood the situation. According to a statement from Berlin, Steinmeier is “following the case with great attention” and “hopes that the violence in the streets will end soon and that social peace can be restored”.
It is not the first time that social tensions in the streets have forced the Élysée to change its plans to strengthen relations with the allied countries. At the end of March, protests sparked by France’s amendment to the reform law led King Charles III of the United Kingdom to cancel his first trip abroad as monarch, even before the coronation. The king eventually went alone to Germany, which was initially to be his second destination. The visit to France is planned for September.
On the fourth night of the riots, following Nahel’s death on Tuesday, 1,311 people were arrested – the interior ministry says 30% of those arrested are minors, the youngest being 13 – and 79 police officers were injured. There were also 1350 vehicles burned or damaged, as well as 234 buildings and 2560 fires on public roads. An additional 45,000 police officers were deployed for Saturday night, with increased security in Marseille and Lyon.
New scenes of violence were confirmed in Marseille on Saturday night, with incidents contained, as in Paris, where police attempted to clear protesters from the Champs Elysées area.
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire says it is too early to estimate the extent of the damage, noting only that it is “high”. The minister called on insurers to process the compensation quickly and announced that other support measures are planned for the affected companies.
raised 250 thousand euros
Nahel, 17, was shot by a 38-year-old police officer, identified only as Florian M., after he allegedly refused to stop at a traffic check. The officer claimed his life was on the line, a scenario that seems to contradict the video of the moment. So much so that French prosecutors decided to charge him with voluntary manslaughter and keep him in custody.
Nahel was in the car with two friends, one of whom (who was in the passenger seat) had fled. He gave his testimony to the newspaperl Le Parisienwho planned to talk to authorities on Monday. According to his account, Nahel lowered the window when asked by police, after being hit twice in the face with rifle butts without justification. He will be shaken. The officer told him to turn off the engine or he would shoot. Nahel tried to defend himself from getting hit with another butt and took his foot off the brake.
According to this witness, the car drove automatically and moved forward, while the police officer stood by the window and told his colleague to shoot. Nahel’s foot then got caught on the accelerator, causing the car to crash ahead without his responding. The passenger says he ran away because he was afraid they would shoot him too and that according to his mother he is still in shock.
Police unions criticize the fact that the trial against the officer is being held in the public square and denounce government interference. A fundraising campaign on the Go Fund Me website to “support the family of the Nanterre police officer (…) who did their job and is currently paying a high price” raised €250,000 in less than two days. The fundraising campaign was launched by Jean Messiha, a former supporter of Éric Zemmour (leader of Reconquista, a far-right party).
Source: DN
