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| France police shooting: Macron holds crisis meeting as officer investigated | France police shooting: Macron holds crisis meeting as officer investigated |
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| More than 150 arrested overnight amid growing anger at shooting of 17-year-old during traffic stop | More than 150 arrested overnight amid growing anger at shooting of 17-year-old during traffic stop |
| A police officer involved in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy has been placed under formal investigation – akin to being charged – for voluntary homicide, as Emmanuel Macron struggles to contain mounting public anger over the killing. | A police officer involved in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy has been placed under formal investigation – akin to being charged – for voluntary homicide, as Emmanuel Macron struggles to contain mounting public anger over the killing. |
| The French president held a crisis cabinet meeting on Thursday after a second night of unrest and rioting across France in which public buildings were set ablaze and cars torched in cities including Lille, Dijon, Lyon and Toulouse as well as the Paris suburbs. | The French president held a crisis cabinet meeting on Thursday after a second night of unrest and rioting across France in which public buildings were set ablaze and cars torched in cities including Lille, Dijon, Lyon and Toulouse as well as the Paris suburbs. |
| “The last few hours have been marked by scenes of violence against police stations but also schools and town halls, and thus institutions of the republic – and these scenes are wholly unjustifiable,” Macron said as he opened the emergency meeting. | “The last few hours have been marked by scenes of violence against police stations but also schools and town halls, and thus institutions of the republic – and these scenes are wholly unjustifiable,” Macron said as he opened the emergency meeting. |
| The interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, said after the meeting that 40,000 police officers would be deployed across the country on Thursday night, including 5,000 in the greater Paris region, nearly four times the numbers mobilised on Wednesday. | |
| Darmanin said a total of 180 arrests had been made after the riots on Wednesday. “The response of the state must be extremely firm,” he said. Both he and the prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, ruled out declaring a state of emergency for now. | |
| On Thursday, Borne was due to visit Garges-lès-Gonesse, north of Paris, where the mayor’s office was set on fire overnight amid rising public anger at police violence, particularly against young men from non-white minorities, and allegations of systemic racism. | |
| Pascal Prache, the local prosecutor, told a news conference that investigating magistrates had placed the officer concerned under formal investigation for voluntary homicide, the equivalent in Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions of being charged. | Pascal Prache, the local prosecutor, told a news conference that investigating magistrates had placed the officer concerned under formal investigation for voluntary homicide, the equivalent in Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions of being charged. |
| “On the basis of the evidence gathered, the public prosecutor considers that the legal conditions for using the weapon have not been met,” Prache said. France’s human rights ombudsman has also opened an inquiry. | “On the basis of the evidence gathered, the public prosecutor considers that the legal conditions for using the weapon have not been met,” Prache said. France’s human rights ombudsman has also opened an inquiry. |
| The Tuesday morning shooting of the 17-year-old, identified as Nahel M, happened in Nanterre, on the western outskirts of Paris. The teenager was shot in the chest as he pulled away from police who tried to stop him for traffic infractions. | The Tuesday morning shooting of the 17-year-old, identified as Nahel M, happened in Nanterre, on the western outskirts of Paris. The teenager was shot in the chest as he pulled away from police who tried to stop him for traffic infractions. |
| Police initially said one officer had shot at the teenager, who was not old enough to drive unaccompanied in France, because he was driving his car at him. That version was quickly contradicted by a video circulating on social media. | Police initially said one officer had shot at the teenager, who was not old enough to drive unaccompanied in France, because he was driving his car at him. That version was quickly contradicted by a video circulating on social media. |
| The video, verified by French news agencies, shows two police officers beside a Mercedes AMG car, with one shooting at the driver at close range as he pulled away. The boy died shortly afterwards from his wounds, prosecutors said. | The video, verified by French news agencies, shows two police officers beside a Mercedes AMG car, with one shooting at the driver at close range as he pulled away. The boy died shortly afterwards from his wounds, prosecutors said. |
| Overnight on Wednesday protesters launched fireworks at police, set cars on fire and torched public buildings in towns in the suburbs around Paris, but also in the city of Toulouse in the south-west and towns across the north. There were also disturbances in Amiens, Dijon, St-Etienne, and outside Lyon. | Overnight on Wednesday protesters launched fireworks at police, set cars on fire and torched public buildings in towns in the suburbs around Paris, but also in the city of Toulouse in the south-west and towns across the north. There were also disturbances in Amiens, Dijon, St-Etienne, and outside Lyon. |
| French media reported incidents in numerous places across the greater Paris region. Videos on social media showed dozens of fireworks being directed at the Montreuil town hall, on the eastern edge of Paris. | French media reported incidents in numerous places across the greater Paris region. Videos on social media showed dozens of fireworks being directed at the Montreuil town hall, on the eastern edge of Paris. |
| Politicians were concerned that sustained rioting and unrest across France could be hard to contain. In 2005, the death of two young boys hiding from police in an electricity substation in Clichy-sous-Bois outside Paris triggered weeks of unrest, with France declaring a state of national emergency as more than 9,000 vehicles and dozens of public buildings and businesses were set on fire. | Politicians were concerned that sustained rioting and unrest across France could be hard to contain. In 2005, the death of two young boys hiding from police in an electricity substation in Clichy-sous-Bois outside Paris triggered weeks of unrest, with France declaring a state of national emergency as more than 9,000 vehicles and dozens of public buildings and businesses were set on fire. |
| The use of lethal force by officers against Nahel, who was of north African origin, has fed into a deep-rooted perception of police brutality in the ethnically diverse areas of France’s biggest cities. | The use of lethal force by officers against Nahel, who was of north African origin, has fed into a deep-rooted perception of police brutality in the ethnically diverse areas of France’s biggest cities. |
| “We are sick of being treated like this. This is for Nahel, we are Nahel,” said two young men calling themselves “avengers” as they wheeled rubbish bins from a nearby estate to add to a burning barricade. One said his family had lived in France for three generations but “they are never going to accept us”. | “We are sick of being treated like this. This is for Nahel, we are Nahel,” said two young men calling themselves “avengers” as they wheeled rubbish bins from a nearby estate to add to a burning barricade. One said his family had lived in France for three generations but “they are never going to accept us”. |
| Macron had called for calm on Wednesday, telling reporters: “We have an adolescent that was killed. It is unexplainable and inexcusable. Nothing justifies the death of a young man.” His remarks were unusually frank in a country where senior politicians are often reluctant to criticise police, given voters’ security concerns. | Macron had called for calm on Wednesday, telling reporters: “We have an adolescent that was killed. It is unexplainable and inexcusable. Nothing justifies the death of a young man.” His remarks were unusually frank in a country where senior politicians are often reluctant to criticise police, given voters’ security concerns. |
| Rights groups allege there is systemic racism within French law enforcement agencies, a charge Macron has previously denied. | Rights groups allege there is systemic racism within French law enforcement agencies, a charge Macron has previously denied. |
| Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer for the boy’s family, said: “You have a video that is very clear: a police officer killed a young man of 17 years. You can see that the shooting is not within the rules.” | Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer for the boy’s family, said: “You have a video that is very clear: a police officer killed a young man of 17 years. You can see that the shooting is not within the rules.” |
| In a video shared on TikTok, a woman identified as the victim’s mother called for a memorial march in Nanterre on Thursday. “Everyone come,” she said. “We will lead a revolt for my son.” | In a video shared on TikTok, a woman identified as the victim’s mother called for a memorial march in Nanterre on Thursday. “Everyone come,” she said. “We will lead a revolt for my son.” |
| Tuesday’s killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France so far in 2023. Last year there were a record 13 such shootings, a spokesperson for the national police said. There were three such killings in 2021 and two in 2020, according to a Reuters tally, which shows the majority of victims since 2017 were Black or of Arab origin. | Tuesday’s killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France so far in 2023. Last year there were a record 13 such shootings, a spokesperson for the national police said. There were three such killings in 2021 and two in 2020, according to a Reuters tally, which shows the majority of victims since 2017 were Black or of Arab origin. |
| Two leading police unions fought back against the criticism, saying the detained police officer should be presumed innocent until found otherwise. | Two leading police unions fought back against the criticism, saying the detained police officer should be presumed innocent until found otherwise. |
| With Reuters and Agence France-Presse | With Reuters and Agence France-Presse |