Wave of violent protests erupts in France after killing of teenager by police

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - France has seen a wave of violent protests since police shot dead a 17-year-old teenager, Nahel M., in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27.

Protests began in Nanterre and spread to other cities the next evening, including Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, and Marseille. However, tensions rose on Thursday following clashes between police and protesters.

A solemn march was organized in Nanterre to pay tribute to Nahel, led by his mother.

On Thursday, 500 public buildings and 1,900 vehicles were set on fire and 3,880 arsons were detected across the country.

Police arrested more than 800 people on charges of damaging and vandalizing public property, street furniture, arsons, and plundering.

Curfews were imposed in several towns, including Savigny-le-Temple, Clamart, Compiegne, and Neuilly-sur-Marne.

Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said on Thursday that the legal conditions for the use of guns in the shooting were not fulfilled.

"The respondent police officer was referred before two investigating judges for deliberate murder," Prache was quoted as saying by the daily Le Figaro.

During the hearing, the police officer said he wanted to prevent the teenager from fleeing again.

The prosecutor also said amateur and surveillance footage confirmed the police officer's statement. The autopsy also showed that the teenager was shot once, with the bullet crossing his left arm and then his thorax from left to right.​​​​​​​