A police officer in Paris, France, shot and killed Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old kid of Algerian heritage, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The killing of Merzouk has sparked widespread demonstrations across France, some of which have turned violent in numerous locations.
Even though French officials have banned all significant events in the country as of this Friday, June 30, 2023, the demonstrations continue unabated.
The French Ministry of the Interior reports that 1,311 people have been arrested as of this writing. In addition to the 234 property damage cases, the ministry said that 1,350 automobiles had been intentionally set on fire.
Who was Nahel?
Nahel, an Algerian-born youngster, was raised by his mother and eventually found work as a delivery driver. His friends and acquaintances let on that he was a Rugby Club Pirates of Nanterre member. Nahel’s schooling was all over the place, but he eventually ended up at a school close to his house, where he learned to be an electrician.
Nahel lacked the motivation to learn and was frequently absent from class. He didn’t have a formal criminal record, but the police in his region knew him anyway.
Why was Nahel shot?
The police said they tried to pull Nahel over at a checkpoint because he didn’t seem old enough to have a license. In addition, the license plates on his automobile were from Poland. The police said that Nahel intentionally drove his car at them when they tried to intervene.
The police officer justified using deadly force by citing the imminent threat to themselves and other motorists.
According to the preliminary inquiry into the allegations against the police officer, “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met.” The cop has been formally charged with voluntary homicide and is the subject of an ongoing inquiry.
Protests erupted around the country as recordings surfaced depicting the police’s interaction with Nehal, with many believing he was just another innocent victim of police brutality.
Nahel Merzouk Funeral
Nahel Merzouk was shot on Tuesday after being stopped by two motorcycle patrol police officers. Friends and relatives attended a private memorial service for Nahel Merzouk in Nanterre.
There was a loud protest outside the mosque, and many chanted “Justice for Nahel” as they accompanied the casket to the graveyard. Attorneys for the family had begged reporters to stay away, stating it was “a day for Nahel’s family” to mourn “with discretion.”
Nahel Merzouk Death sparked riots
There has been a radicalization of opposing public and political perspectives in France since the murder of Nahel, a French citizen of Algerian and Moroccan origin.
According to the French interior ministry, almost 1,300 persons were detained on Friday night and Saturday morning after over 230 structures, including town halls, and 1,350 cars were set on fire. The average age of those arrested was 17. The youngest of them was only 13.
Overnight, the government sent in 45,000 officers and gendarmes, along with 24 helicopters and many armored vehicles. The French media showed pictures of masked protesters armed with automatic weapons and shotguns.
With the authority of his centrist administration under siege, French President Emmanuel Macron called off a two-day trip to Germany on Sunday. As the country burned on Wednesday, Macron received criticism for attending an Elton John performance in Paris.
After four days of rising violence and looting that has attacked governmental and private properties, buses, trams, sports and leisure centers, and schools, the administration conducted another crisis meeting on Saturday.
The teenager’s grandmother pleaded with demonstrators to halt the violence, asking them not to destroy any more schools or buses. She talked about how devastated Nahel’s mother was and how exhausted she was.