Many countries have warned tourists to avoid traveling to Paris.
Source: Profimedia
In France, there was a wave of riots, after the police killed 17-year-old Nael M. near Paris, which caused the anger of thousands of people. Demonstrators have been burning cars in numerous cities for days, breaking into shops, breaking shop windows with bricks, and clashing with the police.and even a mayor was attacked. Many countries have warned their citizens not to travel to France, and the debate about the excessive use of force by the police in marginalized communities was launched, which is a big test for President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Nael was buried, and his family and friends told the French media that the young man previously had several reports for driving without a license, but was never prosecuted.
The scenes from France that are going around the world these days have caused chills for many, and it all started on Tuesday, when Nael M. was killed in the car he was driving. A friend who was with him at that moment said that it was true Nael was driving without a license, but that the policeman who stopped them showed signs of anger from the beginning. He allegedly told Nael at one point: “Don’t move, I’ll put a bullet in your head”. That soon happened, Nael was shot at close range, after which he died practically immediately.
An investigation was launched against the policeman, and an unstoppable chaos began on the streets, causing the country to burn. Thousands of people took to the streets of major cities like Paris and Marseille, which were burned and looted. Footage emerged showing people burning vehicles and climbing buildings with broken windows, while police clashed violently with protesters. As many as 45,000 police officers were sent to the streets across the country, but this was not enough to stop the riots. The riots also caused French President Emmanuel Macron to panic. who held an emergency meeting with ministers and is trying to bridge divisions and unite the country in his second term.
What caused the protests?
A video of Nael’s murder taken by a passerby shows two police officers standing on the driver’s side of the car, one of them pointing a gun at the driver. despite facing no immediate threat. The policeman said that he fired his gun because… was afraid that the boy would run someone over with a car, said Nantera prosecutor Pascal Praše. Praše said that it is believed that the officer acted illegally by using his weapon. He is currently facing a formal investigation into the murder and has been remanded in custody.
Racial factor the key to brutality?
Activists believe Nael’s race was a factor in his murder, exposing deep-seated tensions over police discrimination against minorities in France. Secularism, known as ‘laicite’ in French, is a key foundation of French culture, because it seeks to support equality for all by erasing markers and differences, including race. But many people of African and Arab descent say they are more often victims of police brutality. A 2017 study by Rights Defenders, an independent human rights organization in France, found that young men perceived to be of African or Arab descent were 20 times more likely to be stopped by the police. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have accused the French police of ethnic profiling and recommended deep, systemic reform to address discrimination.
What does this mean for Macron?
Macron has given himself 100 days to heal the country and reset relations after weeks of protests against unpopular pension reforms earlier this year.. However, it did not go unnoticed that Macron attended an Elton John concert on Wednesday as cars burned and buildings were destroyed across the country.
The French government is working to avoid a repeat of 2005, when the deaths of two teenagers hiding from police led to a state of emergency and three weeks of rioting. Macron announced a ban on all ‘big events’ in Franceincluding ‘celebratory events and numerous gatherings’, and urged parents to keep their children at home, saying many of those detained were young.
Who was the murdered Nael?
When it comes to the young man whose murder led to the riot, his mother Munija said that he worked as a food delivery boy, while his friends describe him as a guy loved in his community. Nael was an only child and worked as a food delivery boy. As his mother said, he loved to play rugby. He enrolled in a college not far from where he lived, to train as an electrician.
Those who knew Nael, who was of Algerian descent, said he was well-loved in Nanterre, where he lived with his mother Munia, and had never met his father. “What will I do now? I dedicated everything to him. I have only one, I don’t have ten children. He was my life, my best friend”said the tearful mother after his murder.
Nael has spent the past three years playing for the ‘Pirates of Nanterre’ rugby club. He was part of an integration program for teenagers who have difficulties in school. The program aimed to introduce people from poor areas into jobs, and Nael was studying to be an electrician. The president of the association that implemented the program, Jeff Pueč, was one of the members of the local population who knew him best. He saw him just a few days ago and talked about ‘a kid who used rugby to make it’.
Nael’s mother believes that the policeman who shot him “saw an Arab face, a small child and wanted to take his life.” She told France 5 television that she only blames the person who shot, not the police: “I have friends who are police officers – they are with me wholeheartedly,” she emphasized.
Warning for travel to France
Several countries have issued warnings to those visiting France, where domestic transport networks have been disrupted. The Ministry of the Interior announced that public transport, including buses and trams, would be closed across the country until 21:00 local time. A limited curfew was imposed in some cities, while some bus lines were suspended in Paris, but the metro system was operating normally. Nanterre Prefecture railway station is closed.
The US State Department has issued a security alert covering France. Meanwhile, Britain has issued travel advice urging tourists to ‘monitor the media’ and ‘avoid areas of unrest’. The German authorities also advised their citizens to ‘inform themselves about the current situation and avoid places of major unrest’.
BONUS VIDEO:
06:09 “THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAS BARELY SURVIVED!” Experts on the riots in France and their consequences HERE ARE MACRON’S TACTICS Source: Kurir television
Source: Kurir television
(WORLD/New)