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In the end, even the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macro, had to intervene to call for calm after the events in Nanterre. It was a night of unrest in Nanterre and elsewhere in the northern suburb of Paris, in fact, following the killing of a 17-year-old at the hands of an officer who stopped him at a checkpoint. In Nanterre, an angry mob set fire to rubbish bins, cars and a primary school, while firecrackers threw firecrackers at the emergency departments: groups of rioters erected barricades between the buildings, hindering the operations of the firefighters .
Macron’s intervention
In the case «it is up to justice to establish the truth and identify the responsibilities. I hope that this work will be completed quickly. In such a context, what Nanterre and the nation need is respect and calm,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a tweet. We share the condolences and pain of young Nael’s families and loved ones. I want to express our solidarity and the nation’s affection to him again,” Macron underlines, recalling that “justice was immediately tasked” with shedding light on the circumstances of the affair. Macron also underlines that «our policemen and gendarmes are committed to protecting us and serving the Republic. My thanks go to them every day. They do so within a deontological framework that must be respected”.
Video nailing police officer
The riots began on the evening of 27 June with a demonstration in front of the Nanterre police station and spread to nearby towns. In Mantes-la-Jolie an attempt was made to set fire to the town hall: the police used tear gas and rubber bullets, but had to withdraw. The authorities report 15 people arrested. The riots were triggered by the diffusion of the video of the accident taken from a witness’ cell phone, and verified by the France Info channel, which shows an agent pointing a gun at the driver’s door of the stationary car. When the young man behind the wheel suddenly leaves, the officer shoots at close range, mortally wounding him.
Urban warfare and shock in Nanterre: the police kill a 17-year-old
Internal investigation launched
France Info reported that the agent was taken into police custody on suspicion of manslaughter. According to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the police supervisory body (IPGN) has launched an internal investigation into the incident. The incident also sparked a sharp political controversy.
“The shocking images” circulated on social networks of a policeman shooting and killing a teenager in Nanterre “show an intervention that clearly does not comply with the rules of engagement of our police forces,” said French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne , answering the questions of the senators in the Chamber. “The images – said Borne – suggest that the framework of legal intervention has not been respected”.