"Teen Dies in Police Shooting" Anger Spreads in France... Violent Protests Continue for Third Day

Fires Erupt Across Nanterre and Other Areas... Government Deploys 40,000 Troops
Police Officer Who Shot Teenage Driver Faces Preliminary Murder Charges

In Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, France, a North African teenage boy was shot and killed by a police officer while trying to evade a traffic checkpoint, sparking three consecutive days of violent protests across France. The prosecutor has provisionally charged the police officer involved, and although the French government has called for calm, public outrage shows no signs of abating amid ongoing criticism of racial discrimination by the French police.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 29th (local time), according to AP News and The Guardian, about 6,000 people gathered in Nanterre to protest and march. Initially, the protest and march proceeded peacefully, but tensions escalated when some protesters threw objects at the police and clashed with them, leading to the firing of tear gas.

The march was personally led by Nael's mother, who wore a white T-shirt inscribed with "Justice for Nael 27/06/23 (June 27, 2023)." In an interview with France 5 TV, Nael's mother said, "I am only angry at the one man who killed my son," adding, "He is the problem; I do not want to criticize the police system itself."

The French government announced that it would deploy a total of 40,000 personnel, including 5,000 in Paris, to respond to protests occurring nationwide. Previously, the government had prepared about 10,000 personnel, but as the protests grew and violent incidents erupted in various places, the response was expanded.

The protests began after the incident on the morning of June 27 at around 8:30 a.m. in Nanterre, where 17-year-old Nael was briefly stopped by police for a traffic violation and then shot dead as he drove off. Nael was known to be from an Algerian family, and this sparked widespread public anger amid criticism of the French police's chronic racial discrimination.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Social media videos showing the incident reveal a police officer aiming his gun at the driver's seat of a yellow car while talking. When the car suddenly accelerated in the direction it was heading, the officer fired his weapon. After a gunshot, the car driven by Nael moved several dozen meters before crashing into a pillar and stopping. Paramedics who arrived at the scene attempted to provide aid, but Nael died on site.

Outraged by the actions of the French police, the public dressed in black took to the streets, becoming protesters demanding justice for Nael. The night before, protesters threw stones at police stations and city halls, and set fire to parked cars, trash bins, and trams. One young man at the protest, whose family has lived in France for three generations, expressed anger, saying, "They will never accept us." Another youth said, "We are sick of being treated like this. We are soon to be Nael."

As the protests escalated into violence, the French government declared it would respond strongly. G?rald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior who oversees the police, stated that between June 28 and 29, over 180 people were arrested across France in cities such as Toulouse, Dijon, and Lyon, and 170 police officers were injured, emphasizing that violence is unacceptable. However, Prime Minister ?lisabeth Borne drew a line on calls to declare a state of emergency in the protest areas, saying it is not yet under consideration.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

French President Emmanuel Macron chaired an emergency cabinet meeting that morning, stating, "Violence against state institutions cannot be justified," and expressed hope that memorial events for Nael would be conducted with "consideration and respect."

Meanwhile, amid the intensifying protests, the police officer who fired the shot was provisionally charged with murder and is under investigation in custody.

The prosecutor held a press conference that morning, announcing that two police officers present at the scene were being investigated, and after analyzing video footage of the incident, it was determined that the officer did not meet the legal requirements to use his firearm. Foreign media reported that the autopsy revealed Nael's cause of death was a single bullet that pierced his left arm and chest, and no drugs or dangerous items were found in the car Nael was driving.

Initially, the police officer reportedly claimed that Nael had driven toward them threateningly, prompting him to shoot, but foreign media noted that this statement differed from the video footage released on social media.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.