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Killing of Nahel Merzouk: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 48°53′55″N 2°13′17″E / 48.8985°N 2.2213°E / 48.8985; 2.2213
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Undid revision 1166740751 by SashiRolls (talk) The editor tagged the page and forbid any further edits until the issue has been debated on the talk page and then himself proceeds to edit without waiting for consensus
Undid revision 1166740542 by SashiRolls (talk) Just to make it clear. We are waiting for "consensus" on the talk page because, over a month, ONE sole contributor is disputing the language used in the introduction
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On 27 June 2023, '''Nahel Merzouk''' (25 February 2006 - 27 June 2023),<ref>https://deces.matchid.io/id/UvTdk72G0lTn</ref> a French 17-year-old of [[Morocco|Moroccan]] and [[Algeria|Algerian]] descent,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Porter |first=Catherine |date=29 June 2023 |title=Who is Nahel Merzouk? |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/world/europe/nahel-france-police-shooting-nanterre.html |access-date=5 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701042042/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/world/europe/nahel-france-police-shooting-nanterre.html |archive-date=4 July 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> was shot and killed by police in [[Nanterre]], a suburb of [[Paris]], France. Initial reporting on the incident, informed by police statements, was later contradicted by a video posted online, which led to [[Nahel Merzouk riots|widespread protests and riots]]. Symbols of the state such as town halls, schools, police stations, and other buildings were attacked.<ref>{{cite news |date=1 July 2023 |title=Death of Nahel M.: Over 1,300 arrested during Friday night riots |work=[[Le Monde]] |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/01/riots-continue-into-friday-night-throughout-france-with-hundreds-more-arrested_6040540_7.html |url-status=live |access-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701214057/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/01/riots-continue-into-friday-night-throughout-france-with-hundreds-more-arrested_6040540_7.html |archive-date=1 July 2023}}</ref> The [[Interior Ministry (France)|Interior Ministry]] reported that more than 5,000 vehicles had been set on fire, along with 10,000 garbage cans; nearly 1,000 buildings had been burnt, damaged or looted; 250 police stations and [[gendarmerie]]s had been attacked; and more than 700 police officers had been injured.<ref>{{cite news |title=Riots in France: The appalling toll of days and nights of looting, fires, assaults |work=[[Le Monde]] |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/03/looting-fires-assaults-the-appalling-toll-of-five-days-and-nights-of-rioting-in-france_6042014_7.html |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-date=5 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705030132/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/03/looting-fires-assaults-the-appalling-toll-of-five-days-and-nights-of-rioting-in-france_6042014_7.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=riots-shake-france>{{Cite news |title=Why are there riots in France and where are they happening? |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/riots-shake-france-after-police-shoot-teenager-2023-06-29 |date=29 June 2023 |language=en |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701060051/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/riots-shake-france-after-police-shoot-teenager-2023-06-29/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
On 27 June 2023, '''Nahel Merzouk''' (25 February 2006 - 27 June 2023),<ref>https://deces.matchid.io/id/UvTdk72G0lTn</ref> a French 17-year-old of [[Morocco|Moroccan]] and [[Algeria|Algerian]] descent,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Porter |first=Catherine |date=29 June 2023 |title=Who is Nahel Merzouk? |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/world/europe/nahel-france-police-shooting-nanterre.html |access-date=5 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701042042/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/world/europe/nahel-france-police-shooting-nanterre.html |archive-date=4 July 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> was shot and killed by police in [[Nanterre]], a suburb of [[Paris]], France. Initial reporting on the incident, informed by police statements, was later contradicted by a video posted online, which led to [[Nahel Merzouk riots|widespread protests and riots]]. Symbols of the state such as town halls, schools, police stations, and other buildings were attacked.<ref>{{cite news |date=1 July 2023 |title=Death of Nahel M.: Over 1,300 arrested during Friday night riots |work=[[Le Monde]] |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/01/riots-continue-into-friday-night-throughout-france-with-hundreds-more-arrested_6040540_7.html |url-status=live |access-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701214057/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/01/riots-continue-into-friday-night-throughout-france-with-hundreds-more-arrested_6040540_7.html |archive-date=1 July 2023}}</ref> The [[Interior Ministry (France)|Interior Ministry]] reported that more than 5,000 vehicles had been set on fire, along with 10,000 garbage cans; nearly 1,000 buildings had been burnt, damaged or looted; 250 police stations and [[gendarmerie]]s had been attacked; and more than 700 police officers had been injured.<ref>{{cite news |title=Riots in France: The appalling toll of days and nights of looting, fires, assaults |work=[[Le Monde]] |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/03/looting-fires-assaults-the-appalling-toll-of-five-days-and-nights-of-rioting-in-france_6042014_7.html |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-date=5 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705030132/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/07/03/looting-fires-assaults-the-appalling-toll-of-five-days-and-nights-of-rioting-in-france_6042014_7.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=riots-shake-france>{{Cite news |title=Why are there riots in France and where are they happening? |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/riots-shake-france-after-police-shoot-teenager-2023-06-29 |date=29 June 2023 |language=en |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701060051/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/riots-shake-france-after-police-shoot-teenager-2023-06-29/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


The killing of the teenager became part of a broader public debate regarding aggressive French law enforcement, racial profiling, violence, immigration and integration of [[French people]] with an [[Arabs in France|Arabo-Islamic background]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/02/france-nahel-soccer-hijab.html |title=A Fatal Shooting and a Hijab Ban: Two Faces of France’s Racial Divisions |last=Porter |first=Catherine |date=2 July 2023 |quote=In 2017, an investigation by France’s civil liberties ombudsman, the Défenseur des Droits, found that “young men perceived to be Black or Arab” were 20 times as likely to be subjected to police identity checks compared with the rest of the population. |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref><ref name="sorrow">{{Cite news |last1=Breeden |first1=Aurelien |last2=Méheut |first2=Constant |date=28 June 2023 |title=Protests and Sorrow After Fatal Police Traffic Encounter in France |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630013949/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html |archive-date=30 June 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.telerama.fr/television/immigration-barbares-et-guerre-civile-apres-la-mort-de-nahel-les-chaines-info-peaufinent-leurs-analyses-7016323.php | title=Immigration, barbares et guerre civile : Après la mort de Nahel, les chaînes info peaufinent leurs analyses | date=6 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://atlantico.fr/article/decryptage/les-emeutiers-des-francais-qui-ne-se-sentent-pas-comme-les-autres-cette-analyse-interdite-a-la-droite-mais-revendiquee-par-l-extreme-gauche-celine-pina-malik-bezouh-violences-urbaines-emeutes-emeutiers-identite-nationale | title=Emeutes : Pourquoi la droite n'a-t-elle pas le droit de dire que les émeutiers sont des Français qui ne se sentent pas comme les autres ? | date=8 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Jules |last=Pecnard |date=7 July 2023 |url=https://www.marianne.net/politique/droite/ordre-delinquance-immigration-lr-se-raccroche-aux-emeutes-pour-survivre |title=Ordre, délinquance, immigration… LR se raccroche aux émeutes pour survivre |trans-title=Order, delinquency, immigration… LR clings to the riots to survive |language=fr |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708184227/https://www.marianne.net/politique/droite/ordre-delinquance-immigration-lr-se-raccroche-aux-emeutes-pour-survivre |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>https://www.causeur.fr/emeutes-hidjab-nael-ces-effets-de-la-societe-ouverte-multiculturalisme-262539</ref> The killing was condemned, soon after, by President [[Emmanuel Macron]] as "inexcusable" and the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] held a [[moment of silence]] in his memory, themselves creating further controversy.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4TMo9fDArg&ab_channel=Europe1</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=M. I. with AFP |title=Mineur tué à Nanterre : Macron évoque un acte « inexplicable » et « inexcusable » |language=fr |trans-title= |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/politique/mineur-tue-a-nanterre-macron-evoque-un-acte-inexplicable-et-inexcusable-28-06-2023-2526553_20.php#11 |access-date=15 July 2023 |publisher=Le Point |date=28 June 2023 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=28 June 2023 |title=France braces for protests after 'unforgivable' police shooting |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230628-protests-flare-up-in-france-after-police-shoot-teenager |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629054751/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230628-protests-flare-up-in-france-after-police-shoot-teenager |archive-date=29 June 2023 |access-date=28 June 2023 |website=[[France 24]] |language=en}}</ref>
The killing of the teenager—condemned by President [[Emmanuel Macron]] as "inexplicable" and "inexcusable"<ref>{{cite news |author=M. I. with AFP |title=Mineur tué à Nanterre : Macron évoque un acte « inexplicable » et « inexcusable » |language=fr |trans-title=Minor killed in Nanterre: Macron evokes an "inexplicable" and "inexcusable" act |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/politique/mineur-tue-a-nanterre-macron-
evoque-un-acte-inexplicable-et-inexcusable-28-06-2023-2526553_20.php#11 |access-date=15 July 2023 |publisher=Le Point |date=28 June 2023 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref>—became part of a broader public debate regarding aggressive French law enforcement,<ref name="sorrow">{{Cite news |last1=Breeden |first1=Aurelien |last2=Méheut |first2=Constant |date=28 June 2023 |title=Protests and Sorrow After Fatal Police Traffic Encounter in France |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630013949/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html |archive-date=30 June 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> racial profiling,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/02/france-nahel-soccer-hijab.html |title=A Fatal Shooting and a Hijab Ban: Two Faces of France’s Racial Divisions |last=Porter |first=Catherine |date=2 July 2023 |quote=In 2017, an investigation by France’s civil liberties ombudsman, the Défenseur des Droits, found that “young men perceived to be Black or Arab” were 20 times as likely to be subjected to police identity checks compared with the rest of the population. |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> and suburban violence. France's [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] held a [[moment of silence]] in his memory.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=28 June 2023 |title=France braces for protests after 'unforgivable' police shooting |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230628-protests-flare-up-in-france-after-police-shoot-teenager |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629054751/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230628-protests-flare-up-in-france-after-police-shoot-teenager |archive-date=29 June 2023 |access-date=28 June 2023 |website=[[France 24]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Background ==
== Background ==
{{See also|Crime in France|Law enforcement in France}}
{{See also|Crime in France|Law enforcement in France}}
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A fundraiser on [[GoFundMe]] for the accused officer's family was set up by the [[French far-right|far-right]] politician [[Jean Messiha]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 July 2023 |title=Fund for French police officer who killed Nahel M tops $1m |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/3/fund-for-french-police-officer-who-killed-nahel-m-tops-1m |access-date=12 July 2023 |work=[[Al Jazeera]] |language=en |archive-date=4 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704200134/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/3/fund-for-french-police-officer-who-killed-nahel-m-tops-1m |url-status=live}}</ref> When it closed on 4 July, it had raised €1,636,200 in support of the family of the officer involved in the shooting, far greater than the €200,000 raised in support of Merzouk's family. The officer's family will receive €625,000 after taxation and platform fees.<ref>{{cite news |title=France riots: €1m donated to policeman who killed Nahel Merzouk |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stop-rioting-nahel-merzouks-grandmother-tells-france-80vcxtzll |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-date=5 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705030134/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stop-rioting-nahel-merzouks-grandmother-tells-france-80vcxtzll |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.challenges.fr/politique/mort-de-nahel-la-famille-du-policier-devra-payer-pres-d-un-million-d-euros-d-impot-sur-les-dons_860873|title=Mort de Nahel : la famille du policier devra payer près d'1 million d'euros d'impôt|date=5 July 2023|website=Challenges|access-date=8 July 2023|archive-date=5 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705223724/https://www.challenges.fr/politique/mort-de-nahel-la-famille-du-policier-devra-payer-pres-d-un-million-d-euros-d-impot-sur-les-dons_860873|url-status=live}}</ref>
A fundraiser on [[GoFundMe]] for the accused officer's family was set up by the [[French far-right|far-right]] politician [[Jean Messiha]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 July 2023 |title=Fund for French police officer who killed Nahel M tops $1m |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/3/fund-for-french-police-officer-who-killed-nahel-m-tops-1m |access-date=12 July 2023 |work=[[Al Jazeera]] |language=en |archive-date=4 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704200134/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/3/fund-for-french-police-officer-who-killed-nahel-m-tops-1m |url-status=live}}</ref> When it closed on 4 July, it had raised €1,636,200 in support of the family of the officer involved in the shooting, far greater than the €200,000 raised in support of Merzouk's family. The officer's family will receive €625,000 after taxation and platform fees.<ref>{{cite news |title=France riots: €1m donated to policeman who killed Nahel Merzouk |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stop-rioting-nahel-merzouks-grandmother-tells-france-80vcxtzll |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-date=5 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705030134/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stop-rioting-nahel-merzouks-grandmother-tells-france-80vcxtzll |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.challenges.fr/politique/mort-de-nahel-la-famille-du-policier-devra-payer-pres-d-un-million-d-euros-d-impot-sur-les-dons_860873|title=Mort de Nahel : la famille du policier devra payer près d'1 million d'euros d'impôt|date=5 July 2023|website=Challenges|access-date=8 July 2023|archive-date=5 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705223724/https://www.challenges.fr/politique/mort-de-nahel-la-famille-du-policier-devra-payer-pres-d-un-million-d-euros-d-impot-sur-les-dons_860873|url-status=live}}</ref>


=== Media ===
== Polemics on immigration ==
{{illm|Ivan Rioufol|fr}}<ref>{{cite web |website=[[Causeur (magazine)|Causeur]] |last=Rioufol |first=Ivan |url=https://www.causeur.fr/emeutes-hidjab-nael-ces-effets-de-la-societe-ouverte-multiculturalisme-262539 |language=fr |date=28 June 2023 |title=Émeutes, hidjab: ces effets de la société ouverte |trans-title=Riots, hijab: these effects of the open society |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> and {{illm|Céline Pina|fr}}<ref>{{cite web |website=Marianne |url=https://atlantico.fr/article/decryptage/les-emeutiers-des-francais-qui-ne-se-sentent-pas-comme-les-autres-cette-analyse-interdite-a-la-droite-mais-revendiquee-par-l-extreme-gauche-celine-pina-malik-bezouh-violences-urbaines-emeutes-emeutiers-identite-nationale |title=Emeutes : Pourquoi la droite n'a-t-elle pas le droit de dire que les émeutiers sont des Français qui ne se sentent pas comme les autres ? |last=Pecnard |first=Jules |language=fr |date=8 July 2023 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> opined that the violence (or "civil war" according to Rioufol<ref>{{cite web |last=Gontier |first=Samuel |date=6 July 2023 |url=https://www.telerama.fr/television/immigration-barbares-et-guerre-civile-apres-la-mort-de-nahel-les-chaines-info-peaufinent-leurs-analyses-7016323.php |language=fr |website=Telerama |title=Immigration, barbares et guerre civile : après la mort de Nahel, les chaînes info peaufinent leurs analyses |trans-title=Immigration, barbarians and civil war: after Nahel's death, the news networks polish up their analyses |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref>) was related to immigration and Islam. The [[Minister of the Interior (France)|Minister of the Interior]], when asked by a senator from [[The_Republicans_(France)|The Republicans]] to describe "in what way" the rioters were French, replied that "there were many Kevins and Mattéos among those arrested" and that he thought an exclusively identity-based reading of the urban violence would be an error.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |title=Emeutes urbaines : devant le Sénat, Gérald Darmanin défend son bilan |trans-title=Urban riots: facing the Senate, Gérald Darmanin defends his record |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2023/07/05/emeutes-urbaines-devant-le-senat-gerald-darmanin-defend-son-bilan_6180712_823448.html |first1=Mariama |last=Darame |first2=Jérémie |last2=Lamothe |date=5 July 2023 |language=fr |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> The emphasis on immigration by [[The Republicans (France)|LR]] was described by the magazine ''[[Marianne (magazine)|Marianne]]'' as part of a campaign strategy to attract [[Eric Zemmour]] and [[Marine Le Pen]] voters in upcoming elections.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jules |last=Pecnard |date=7 July 2023 |url=https://www.marianne.net/politique/droite/ordre-delinquance-immigration-lr-se-raccroche-aux-emeutes-pour-survivre |title=Ordre, délinquance, immigration… LR se raccroche aux émeutes pour survivre |trans-title=Order, delinquency, immigration… LR clings to the riots to survive |language=fr |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708184227/https://www.marianne.net/politique/droite/ordre-delinquance-immigration-lr-se-raccroche-aux-emeutes-pour-survivre |url-status=live}}</ref>
Various [[Pundit|media pundits]] opined that the violence, at times described as a [[civil war]], was related to immigration and Islam.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gontier |first=Samuel |date=6 July 2023 |url=https://www.telerama.fr/television/immigration-barbares-et-guerre-civile-apres-la-mort-de-nahel-les-chaines-info-peaufinent-leurs-analyses-7016323.php |language=fr |website=Telerama |title=Immigration, barbares et guerre civile : après la mort de Nahel, les chaînes info peaufinent leurs analyses |trans-title=Immigration, barbarians and civil war: after Nahel's death, the news networks polish up their analyses |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |website=[[Causeur (magazine)|Causeur]] |last=Rioufol |first=Ivan |url=https://www.causeur.fr/emeutes-hidjab-nael-ces-effets-de-la-societe-ouverte-multiculturalisme-262539 |language=fr |date=28 June 2023 |title=Émeutes, hidjab: ces effets de la société ouverte |trans-title= |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |website=Marianne |url=https://atlantico.fr/article/decryptage/les-emeutiers-des-francais-qui-ne-se-sentent-pas-comme-les-autres-cette-analyse-interdite-a-la-droite-mais-revendiquee-par-l-extreme-gauche-celine-pina-malik-bezouh-violences-urbaines-emeutes-emeutiers-identite-nationale |title=Emeutes : Pourquoi la droite n'a-t-elle pas le droit de dire que les émeutiers sont des Français qui ne se sentent pas comme les autres ? |last=Pecnard |first=Jules |language=fr |date=8 July 2023 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref>The [[Minister of the Interior (France)|Minister of the Interior]], when asked by a senator from [[The_Republicans_(France)|The Republicans]] to describe "in what way" the rioters were French, replied that "there were many Kevins and Mattéos among those arrested" and that he thought an exclusively identity-based reading of the urban violence would be an error.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |title=Emeutes urbaines : devant le Sénat, Gérald Darmanin défend son bilan |trans-title=Urban riots: facing the Senate, Gérald Darmanin defends his record |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2023/07/05/emeutes-urbaines-devant-le-senat-gerald-darmanin-defend-son-bilan_6180712_823448.html |first1=Mariama |last=Darame |first2=Jérémie |last2=Lamothe |date=5 July 2023 |language=fr |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> The emphasis on immigration by The Republicans has been described by ''[[Marianne (magazine)|Marianne]]'' as part of a campaign strategy to attract voters of [[Eric Zemmour]] and [[Marine Le Pen]].<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jules |last=Pecnard |date=7 July 2023 |url=https://www.marianne.net/politique/droite/ordre-delinquance-immigration-lr-se-raccroche-aux-emeutes-pour-survivre |title=Ordre, délinquance, immigration… LR se raccroche aux émeutes pour survivre |trans-title=Order, delinquency, immigration… LR clings to the riots to survive |language=fr |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708184227/https://www.marianne.net/politique/droite/ordre-delinquance-immigration-lr-se-raccroche-aux-emeutes-pour-survivre |url-status=live}}</ref>


== Unrest ==
== Unrest ==

Revision as of 13:32, 23 July 2023

Killing of Nahel Merzouk
Image of Merzouk distributed by his mother
Date27 June 2023
LocationNanterre, France
Coordinates48°53′55″N 2°13′17″E / 48.8985°N 2.2213°E / 48.8985; 2.2213
TypePolice shooting
OutcomeMass urban riots
DeathsNahel Merzouk
AccusedPolice officer Florian M.
ChargesVoluntary homicide by a person in authority

On 27 June 2023, Nahel Merzouk (25 February 2006 - 27 June 2023),[1] a French 17-year-old of Moroccan and Algerian descent,[2] was shot and killed by police in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, France. Initial reporting on the incident, informed by police statements, was later contradicted by a video posted online, which led to widespread protests and riots. Symbols of the state such as town halls, schools, police stations, and other buildings were attacked.[3] The Interior Ministry reported that more than 5,000 vehicles had been set on fire, along with 10,000 garbage cans; nearly 1,000 buildings had been burnt, damaged or looted; 250 police stations and gendarmeries had been attacked; and more than 700 police officers had been injured.[4][5]

The killing of the teenager became part of a broader public debate regarding aggressive French law enforcement, racial profiling, violence, immigration and integration of French people with an Arabo-Islamic background.[6][7][8][9][10][11] The killing was condemned, soon after, by President Emmanuel Macron as "inexcusable" and the National Assembly held a moment of silence in his memory, themselves creating further controversy.[12][13][14]

Background

"Justice for Nahel, justice for all, the racist state kills, our revolts are legitimate!"
Poster for a demonstration in Marseille, following the death of Merzouk

France saw a rise in police violence in the years before the killing.[15] In 2017, a law was passed permitting police to shoot at a vehicle fleeing a traffic stop, if the driver was putting the passengers or passersby at risk.[16] This shooting was the third fatal shooting that occurred during a traffic stop in France in 2023. In 2020, there were three deaths, followed by two in 2021, and 13 in 2022. The victims were often people of black or Maghrebi origin, leading to allegations of systemic racism within the French police.[17] In May 2023, national representatives at the United Nations Human Rights Council criticized the country's police force and urged the implementation of significant measures to address excessive use of force in demonstrations.[18] The French government has frequently downplayed instances of police violence, sometimes even avoiding the use of the term itself, while police unions opposed repealing or revising the 2017 law.[19] In 2022, approximately five officers were indicted in relation to the aforementioned shootings.[20]

On 19 July 2016, Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black man with a criminal record of violence and drug-related offenses, died while in custody after being restrained and apprehended by the police.[21] This incident sparked widespread public outcry and protests, which reignited in May 2020 when the officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing.[22][20] On 14 June 2023, Alhoussein Camara, a 19-year-old, was killed during a road check in Angoulême. His body was repatriated to Conakry, Guinea, by his family and the Guinean authorities. While there, they appealed to France for justice to be served.[23]

Victim

Nahel Merzouk was a 17-year-old enrolled at the Lycée Louis-Blériot in Suresnes, where he attended classes for six months, and then stopped going to school. Merzouk worked as a pizza delivery driver in Nanterre.[24][25] According to a paramedic who knew Merzouk, his father left his mother before Merzouk was born.[26] According to his family's lawyers, Merzouk had no criminal record but he was "known to police", particularly for resisting arrest, and had been charged with resisting the previous weekend and five times since 2021.[27][28] His judicial file included 15 recorded incidents, including use of false license plates, driving without insurance, and sale and consumption of drugs.[29]

Shooting

A yellow Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W177), similar to the one driven by Merzouk

Prosecution version

According to the public prosecutor of Nanterre, two Paris Police Prefecture motorcycle officers noticed a Mercedes-Benz A Class AMG with a Polish license plate driving at high speed in a bus lane, driven by a young-looking person at around 7:55 am. The officers activated their warning signals (audible and visual) and indicated to the driver of the car, then stationary at a red traffic light, to stop. The vehicle started moving and ran the red light. The officers followed the car and alerted their superiors via radio. The car committed multiple traffic violations, endangering a pedestrian and a cyclist.

Due to traffic congestion, the vehicle was eventually forced to stop. The police officers got off their motorcycles, pointed their guns at the driver, and ordered him to turn off the engine. Instead, the vehicle started to pull away, and one of the police officers, 38-year-old Florian M,[30] working his ninth consecutive day without a day off,[31] fired a shot at the driver at point-blank range. The vehicle continued forward before crashing into street furniture at 8:19 am. The rear passenger was arrested when he exited the vehicle. The front right passenger fled. The police officer who had fired the shot provided first aid to the driver, who was pronounced dead at 9:15 am.[32][33][34]

Police records indicate that Merzouk was known for previous incidents in which he failed to comply with traffic stops.[5] On the day on his death, it is alleged that he "disobeyed and committed several traffic offences, endangering the lives of a pedestrian and a cyclist", and also refused to turn off the ignition, upon which one of the officers shot him as he was attempting to speed away with his car making contact with the police officer.[35][36][37]

The use of firearms by the police, during traffic controls in the event of failure to comply, is currently regulated by a law adopted in 2017.[38][39] Authorities arrested the police officer who shot Merzouk, on suspicion of "voluntary homicide by a person in authority".[35]

Police version challenged by a video

According to the police, an officer fired his weapon as the young driver was about to run him over.[40] This version, citing self-defense, was challenged after the publication of a video showing that the car was not in a position to harm the police officers and was not heading towards them.[41][42][43] According to Le Monde, "the 50-second sequence, which has gone viral on social media, has literally swept away the language elements initially disseminated by police sources and repeated by some media." The video shows that the two police officers were on the driver's side of the Mercedes. The car was moving off when the police officer fired the shot.[44] still at close range.[45]

Version from the third passenger

On 30 June 2023, a third passenger aboard the Mercedes testified that Merzouk received several buttstrokes. According to them, the third buttstroke made Merzouk release the brake pedal, causing the car to move forward, given that the gearbox was automatic. According to BFM TV, this version differs from that put forward by the police, as according to the Prefect of Police of Paris Laurent Nuñez: "the driver had first turned off the engine, restarted the vehicle, then left. It was in this context that the police officer used his firearm."[46]

Investigation

The officer is under investigation for manslaughter and was placed in custody for the charge of "voluntary homicide by a person in authority".[17][47] The police have maintained that the shooting was an act of self-defense, as they argue that Merzouk was driving towards the officer.[47] However, since the video was released, this claim has faced significant criticism.[20] Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer representing Merzouk, has stated that the video completely disproves this assertion and alleges that the brigadier[a] had an "intention to kill".[20] Other lawyers representing Merzouk have made similar remarks.[48]

Two investigations have been initiated: "refusal to comply" against Merzouk, and "voluntary homicide by a person in authority" against the policeman Florian M. The latter investigation has been assigned to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN).[49][50]

Initial reactions

French President Emmanuel Macron declared the incident "inexcusable and unforgivable", adding that it "moved the entire nation". Macron's statements were a rare critique of French law enforcement from government officials.[51][17] The BBC's Hugh Schofield attributed this to the effects of social media, allowing for the dissemination of such videos with ease, as well as fear stemming from the ensuing riots. Alliance Police nationale, the largest French police union, criticized Macron for "condemn[ing] our colleagues before justice has had the chance to speak".[52][53] Far-right politician Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, dubbed Macron's statements as "excessive" and "irresponsible", adding that "the president is prepared to ignore constitutional principles in a bid to put out a potential fire."[54] Left-wing politician and former La France Insoumise party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon called for police reform. Éric Ciotti, party leader of the conservative party LR, expressed his support for the police, dubbing them defenders of collective security and denouncing the ensuing unrest as unjustified.[48]

French football player Kylian Mbappé took to Twitter to denounce the incident as "unacceptable" and sent condolences to Merzouk's family.[55] Mike Maignan, a footballer for AC Milan stated on Twitter that "It's always for the same people that being in the wrong leads to death."[55] FC Barcelona footballer Jules Koundé criticized the coverage of the incident, stating that news media were capitalizing on it to "distort the truth" and find excuses to criminalize Merzouk. French actor and comedian Omar Sy sent condolences to the family.[56]

Merzouk's mother called for a "a revolt for my son" on TikTok.[20][17] Merzouk's grandmother stated that she lacked forgiveness for the police and government, stating "They killed my grandson, now I don't care about anyone, they took my grandson from me, I will never forgive them in my life, never, never, never."[57]

Le Parisien and BFM TV have been criticized for relaying the police's account without any caution in the early hours of the event, before changing their narrative in response to the video evidence and pressure from other media outlets.[58]

The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its "shock and consternation the brutal and tragic disappearance of the young Nahel", adding that it trusted the French government to assume its duty of protection and security for Algerian nationals on French territory. The Moroccan press was critical of what it called Algerian interference in internal French domestic affairs and use of the crisis to political advantage.[59]

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights asked France to address systemic racism within its police forces, and called for the protests to be peaceful.[60][61]

A fundraiser on GoFundMe for the accused officer's family was set up by the far-right politician Jean Messiha.[62] When it closed on 4 July, it had raised €1,636,200 in support of the family of the officer involved in the shooting, far greater than the €200,000 raised in support of Merzouk's family. The officer's family will receive €625,000 after taxation and platform fees.[63][64]

Media

Various media pundits opined that the violence, at times described as a civil war, was related to immigration and Islam.[65][66][67]The Minister of the Interior, when asked by a senator from The Republicans to describe "in what way" the rioters were French, replied that "there were many Kevins and Mattéos among those arrested" and that he thought an exclusively identity-based reading of the urban violence would be an error.[68] The emphasis on immigration by The Republicans has been described by Marianne as part of a campaign strategy to attract voters of Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen.[69]

Unrest

The White March in memory of Merzouk in Nanterre

Public outcry and outrage over the shooting of Merzouk evolved into protests and riots. In Nanterre, residents protested outside the police headquarters on 27 June, which escalated into rioting. Demonstrators set cars alight, trashed bus stops, and shot fireworks at police.[70] In Viry-Châtillon, just south of Paris, a group of youths reportedly set a bus ablaze.[19]

In Mantes-la-Jolie, a town 40 km northwest of Paris,[71] the town hall was set ablaze after being firebombed[72] on the night of 27 June, burning until 3:15 (CEST).[19] Clashes continued throughout the night across France, including in Toulouse and Lille.[19] Unrest was also reported in Asnières, Colombes, Suresnes, Aubervilliers, Clichy-sous-Bois and Mantes-la-Jolie.[56]

By 29 June, over 150 people had been arrested,[73] 24 officers had been injured, and 40 cars had been torched.[54][20] Fearing greater unrest, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin deployed 1,200 riot police and gendarmes in and around Paris, later adding an additional 2,000.[20][19][54] On 29 June, Darmanin announced that the government would deploy 40,000 troops nationwide.[74] According to Darmanin, over 1,350 vehicles were set on fire, and over 1,300 arrests were made in connection with the riots.[75]

On 29 June, thousands held a White March in memory of Merzouk in Nanterre.[76]

On 1 July, rioters sprayed anti-police slogans onto the walls of the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation et de la Résistance in Nanterre, a Holocaust memorial, drawing condemnation from the European Jewish Congress. "We're going to make a Shoah" was painted nearby.[77][78]

An LGBT bar in Brest, "L'Happy Café", closed following threats published on social media which read "We burn fags, let them burn in hell, on the Quran", "Bomb the Happy Café, our religion must be respected, Allah Akbar".[79]

Aftermath of the Nahel Merzouk riots

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In contrast to the anglophone military usage, brigadier is a French police rank equivalent to sergeant.

References

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