Starting on June 27th, 2023, in France’s biggest cities such as Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Marseille, violent protests cause mayhem across the country, all because a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot by a policeman.
Nahel Merzouk, was a 17-year-old boy from Algerian decent who grew up in Nanterre. However, on June 27th, 2023, 2 police officers followed his car to a red light, and rather than stopping, Nahel kept driving, even though there was a red light. The cops chased him until Nahel was forced to stop.
When the officers went up to the car window, Nahel started to drive, but one of the police officers “fired a shot”(Wikipedia) in the chest. Nahel Merzouk was buried and mourned in his hometown, Nanterre.
The death of Nahel Merzouk sparked multiple riots in France. Groups of protesters have been clashing with armed police officers in heated battles that take place in the streets, small towns, and city centers.
Due to these protests, police have been blocking some streets with their vehicles. According to NPR, “In cities like Marseille, commanders used vans to block streets and discourage large congregations of angry demonstrators, utilizing tear gas to disperse larger groups while helicopters hovered overhead monitoring crowd movements.”
Vincent Jeanbrun, a local mayor in Paris, said that his home was attacked and rammed by a car that would later be set on fire. Officials would later investigate the supposed attempted murder.
Sources:(3 sources)
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-macron-hold-new-crisis-meeting-after-third-night-riots-2023-06-30/#:~:text=Unrest%20has%20flared%20nationwide%2C%20including,Tuesday%20in%20the%20Nanterre%20suburb.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Nahel_Merzouk
NPR
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/02/1185705977/france-protests-police-shooting-nahel-paris-marseille
Nahel Merzouk, was a 17-year-old boy from Algerian decent who grew up in Nanterre. However, on June 27th, 2023, 2 police officers followed his car to a red light, and rather than stopping, Nahel kept driving, even though there was a red light. The cops chased him until Nahel was forced to stop.
When the officers went up to the car window, Nahel started to drive, but one of the police officers “fired a shot”(Wikipedia) in the chest. Nahel Merzouk was buried and mourned in his hometown, Nanterre.
The death of Nahel Merzouk sparked multiple riots in France. Groups of protesters have been clashing with armed police officers in heated battles that take place in the streets, small towns, and city centers.
Due to these protests, police have been blocking some streets with their vehicles. According to NPR, “In cities like Marseille, commanders used vans to block streets and discourage large congregations of angry demonstrators, utilizing tear gas to disperse larger groups while helicopters hovered overhead monitoring crowd movements.”
Vincent Jeanbrun, a local mayor in Paris, said that his home was attacked and rammed by a car that would later be set on fire. Officials would later investigate the supposed attempted murder.
Sources:(3 sources)
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-macron-hold-new-crisis-meeting-after-third-night-riots-2023-06-30/#:~:text=Unrest%20has%20flared%20nationwide%2C%20including,Tuesday%20in%20the%20Nanterre%20suburb.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Nahel_Merzouk
NPR
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/02/1185705977/france-protests-police-shooting-nahel-paris-marseille