Violence in France has been ongoing. Police have arrested over 700 protestors on five consecutive nights across major cities, like Paris, the capital of France, and Marseille, a port city.
This began when people were rioting in response to the death of Nahel Merzouk, a seventeen-year-old teenager who was shot by police after being stopped for violating traffic rules. Large groups were engaged in this protest with armed policemen in protective clothing. These groups participated in fights that continued into the morning of Sunday in iconic locations, such as Marseille.
President Emmanuel Macron has described the death of the teen driver as unexplainable, but he still encouraged parents to take responsibility for teenagers who have been participating in conflagrations in the country, without the consent of their family members. “No justice, no peace,” one man screamed into an NPR reporter’s microphone, as he ran away from the police in Marseille.
In some cities, officers used vans to block streets to dissuade large gatherings. Police violence as well as perceived racial and ethnic discrimination have angered communities in France. This anger was targeted toward the local mayor’s home. The mayor’s house was rammed into by a car that was set on fire, which resulted in the injury of the wife and child of the mayor.
These protests caused millions of euros worth of damage to public transport in the Paris region. Police are still trying to suppress this dispute.
This began when people were rioting in response to the death of Nahel Merzouk, a seventeen-year-old teenager who was shot by police after being stopped for violating traffic rules. Large groups were engaged in this protest with armed policemen in protective clothing. These groups participated in fights that continued into the morning of Sunday in iconic locations, such as Marseille.
President Emmanuel Macron has described the death of the teen driver as unexplainable, but he still encouraged parents to take responsibility for teenagers who have been participating in conflagrations in the country, without the consent of their family members. “No justice, no peace,” one man screamed into an NPR reporter’s microphone, as he ran away from the police in Marseille.
In some cities, officers used vans to block streets to dissuade large gatherings. Police violence as well as perceived racial and ethnic discrimination have angered communities in France. This anger was targeted toward the local mayor’s home. The mayor’s house was rammed into by a car that was set on fire, which resulted in the injury of the wife and child of the mayor.
These protests caused millions of euros worth of damage to public transport in the Paris region. Police are still trying to suppress this dispute.