The Paris protest against the death of a teen killed by a police officer: Witnessing the frustration and anger in a country on fire

Djigui, one of the thousands of protesters who took to the streets in a suburb of Paris on Thursday, said that his mother still seemed nervous whenever he left the house. “I can hear the crack in her voice when she checks to make sure I have my ID card or just says, ‘Watch out.’”

The anger is not abating. The death of Nahel M. exposed the most extreme form of police violence that has long targeted communities of color in France. It’s also acted as a catalyst for the discontent simmering throughout the country. For President Emmanuel Macron, it was another blow to his authority, as he was forced once again to confront a France on fire.

A crowd gathered in the western suburb of Narbonne to pay respects to Nahel M., a teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer after being stopped for a traffic violation.

Dozens of mediators, who act as liaisons between the community and local officials, were hired to keep order and stop anyone from filming or taking photos. At one point, there were 300 mourners in the street who were gathered for a public prayer of mourning, because the mosque was so full.

On the death of the teenage driver of Algerian descent in an incident in the early stage of the civil war – a tribute to the mother of their son, Nahel,

“Try and put yourself in the place of this boy’s mother,” pleaded Catherine, a Nanterre resident who didn’t want to give her last name out of concern for her safety. I can’t think of a way that I could imagine. He could have been any of our children.

Some people said they were disappointed by politicians on the right and far-right, who tried to tarnish the boy’s image.

“It’s like Nahel was killed twice,” said Nordine Iznasni, a community activist who has been a staple of Nanterre for decades. “First, with a bullet, then a second time with a smear to his reputation.”

The displays of the destruction were still on display despite the morning clean-up. The streets were caked with layers of melted plastic and the cars that had been burnt to a crisp were left in the street.

The French government has deployed 45,000 police across the country to maintain order and French President Emmanuel Macron has canceled a state visit to Germany as the country braces for more unrest.

A specific order was put out by the government that told young people to stay indoors. Gérald Darmanin, France’s interior minister, said the average age of those arrested on Thursday was 17 — some were as young as 13.

The president of France immediately condemned the death of the teenager driver of Algerian descent who was killed in an explosion, and urged parents to take responsibility for their teens, who have participated in conflagrations up and down the country.

“Don’t forgive or forget” and “Please, rapists, assassins” — Two incidents of violence in Paris, Paris and the week before a fatal shooting

In some cities commanders used vans to block the streets and used tear gas to break up the angry demonstrators.

An investigation was launched after the home of the local mayor in L’Hay-les-Roses was rammed and subsequently set on fire, injuring the wife and child of the mayor.

The attack on the town hall that was personally-targeted presented a new level of “horror and ignominy,” as town halls, schools, police buildings and hundreds of stores have also been damaged in the current outbreak of civil unrest.

Large groups engaged in running battles with heavily armed riot police wearing protective clothing — cat and mouse-like encounters involving provocation and response that continued into the early hours of Sunday in some of France’s most iconic locations, like the old port of Marseille.

More than 700 protesters were arrested in France over the course of five nights, including the capital, Paris and the port city of Marseille.

At the foot of a bridge near the Eiffel Tower where generations of couples have attached padlocks to symbolize lasting love, a Senegalese man selling cheap locks and keys shook his head when asked if Nahel’s killing and the ensuing violence would change anything.

Amid the unrest, a World War II monument in Nanterre commemorating Holocaust victims and members of the French resistance was vandalized on the sidelines of a silent march Thursday to pay tribute to Nahel. “Don’t forgive or forget” and ” Police, rapists, assassins” were two of the slogans. The European Jewish Congress condemned the act of disrespect for the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Thirteen people who didn’t comply with traffic stops were fatally shot by French police last year, and three this year, prompting demands for more accountability.

Video of the killing showed two officers at the window of the car, one with his gun pointed at the driver. As the teenager pulled forward, the officer fired once through the windshield. The officer accused of killing Nahel was given a preliminary charge of voluntary homicide.

In Paris the family of the French teenager who was shot dead during a traffic stop asked rioters to stop, while authorities expressed outrage over an attack on the mayor’s home that injured family members.

In a telephone interview, the grandmother of Nahel spoke out against breaking windows in schools. We want to be calm.

She expressed faith in the justice system even though she was angry at the officer who killed her grandson and not at the police in general. Her grandson, identified by only his first name, was buried on Saturday.

The Parisian attack on a young man in Nanterre: France’s first state visit to Germany since the Paris-Macron unrest

A person who participated in a security meeting for the president said that he plans to meet with the heads of both houses of the parliament and the mayors of towns affected by the protests. An official from the office of the president said thatMacron wants to look at the reasons behind the unrest for a long time.

Highlighting the seriousness of the rioting, Macron has delayed what would have been the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 23 years, which had been scheduled to start Sunday evening.

The mayor said that his wife and one of his children were struck by a projectile as they slept in the town hall. The Republicans party’s Jeanbrun said the attack represented a new stage in the unrest.

Macron has blamed social media for fueling violence. France’s justice minister has warned that young people who share calls for violence on Snapchat or other apps could face prosecution.

The mass police deployment has been welcomed by some frightened residents of targeted neighborhoods, but it has further frustrated those who see police behavior as the core of the crisis.

On a public square in Nanterre, a young man of Senegalese descent said France would learn little from the latest unrest. Faiez Njai pointed a finger at his temple after saying that police were playing on his fears.