After a deadly police shot: Protests in France escalate again

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People gathered to protest in Lille, Nantes, Toulouse and Lyon, among others, the newspaper “Le Figaro” and the broadcaster BFMTV report. Garbage cans, cars, a bus and a truck, construction equipment and even a Paris tram were set on fire. The police spoke of a tense but controlled situation.

In Nanterre alone, where the young driver was killed on Tuesday morning, 2,000 officials were mobilized to prevent another violent riot like the night before. The police also used drones. In the Paris area there were at least 77 arrests overnight and a primary school went up in flames. The prison in Fresnes near Paris was also attacked with fireworks. The Paris fire brigade called on the population to use the emergency call only in urgent cases in view of the situation.

In Nice, southern France, two police stations and patrol cars were attacked with exploding fireworks. Rioters set up barricades and set fires. In Mons-en-Baroeul near Lille in northern France, hooded people destroyed a mayor’s office and a police station in nearby Roubaix was attacked.

A motorcycle patrol arrested the boy behind the wheel of a car in Nanterre near Paris on Tuesday morning. When the young man suddenly drove away, the fatal shot fell from the police officer’s service weapon. He remains in police custody. He is being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter. The 38-year-old is threatened with suspension. A funeral march is planned for Thursday in Nanterre in memory of the young people who died.

According to broadcaster France Info, the two police officers involved in the check initially said that the youngster wanted to hit them. It was only when video footage of the incident, verified by the broadcaster, spread on social networks that they moved away from this image and the alleged intent to kill the youngster.

The video shows how the officer points his gun at the stationary car at the height of the driver’s door. The situation seems under control and there are no signs of hectic. When the 17-year-old suddenly drives off, the officer shoots at the youngster at close range, fatally hitting him in the chest. The car then drove a few meters further and rammed into a roadblock.

President Emmanuel Macron reacted with compassion and clear words to the death of the 17-year-old. “We have a young person who has been murdered, that cannot be explained and cannot be excused.”

(SDA)

Source: Blick