What is happening in France and what is the origin of the riots that have the country in crisis

Protests and riots continue to be the order of the day in France after thousands of citizens have demonstrated during this week in the big cities of the country after the death of the young Nahel. For the third consecutive night, the altercations in the streets have been the main protagonists of the day. In anticipation of what could happen, and based on what happened in previous days, the Ministry of the Interior had deployed a security device made up of 40,000 agents with the aim of trying to stop the riots. However, the scene has been repeated again and the night has ended with more than 600 detainees in all the country.

looted business premises, robberies, violence, burned cars and even entire buildings on fire have been some of the images that have been seen during this morning in a large part of the country. The scene has been repeating itself since Tuesday, the day the story of Nahel, a 17-year-old boy of North African origin who was shot dead by a policeman during a control in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris.

Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse or Roubaix have been some of the cities that have joined the protests. But the truth is that the wave of violence has also intensified in the capital, where it has come to set fire to a banking agency and where several buildings such as schools and tax centers have suffered significant damage. Given the uncontrollable situation in the country, French President Emmanuel Macron has called a crisis cabinet on his return from Brussels, where he has participated in the European Council. In addition, non-essential trips by government ministers have been canceled until further notice.

In recent years, France has experienced a significant rise in police violence. And it is that, only so far this year, three people have lost their lives later being shot down by the French police during a traffic check on the highway. The last one occurred on June 27. Nahel M, a 17-year-old boy of North African origin, He was driving a vehicle through Nanterre (Paris) while doing his job as a delivery man. Two other people were traveling with him.

At a certain time, around 8:30 a.m., Police stopped the vehicle for breaking traffic rules at the François Arago crossroads, near the Réseau Express Régional de Nanterre station. The reproaches between the agents and Nahel caused one of the policemen to pull out his weapon.

[¿Joven ejemplar o rebelde sin causa? Las dos caras de Nahel, el adolescente que mató la policía en Francia]

After the discussion, Nahel tried to continue on his way, avoiding paying attention to the instructions of the authorities. But this fact caused the young man received a fatal shot for which he lost his life after the emergency services could not do anything to save him.

Who was Nahel M, the young man murdered in Nanterre at the hands of the French police?

Nahel’s life was never easy. At 17 years old, this young Maghrebi sand he earned his living distributing food to be able to financially help his mother, with whom he lived in Nanterre. Like many of the boys his age, sports were his passion. Specifically rugby. In recent days, more details have been revealed about what his life was like in the country.

He had recently enrolled at a university in Suresnes, near where he lived, with the aim of train as an electrician As they have stated in the neighborhood where he lived, he was very loved by everyone and he was always worried about his mother Mounia. He never got to know his father.

Sport had helped the young man in recent years. And it is that Nahel was part of the Piratas de Nanterre rugby club and had joined a integration program for teenagers with difficulties run by the Ovale Citoyen association. The organization’s president, Jeff Puech, was one of the men who knew him best. “He was someone who had the will to fit in socially and professionally, not a boy who dealt drugs or that he had fun with acts of juvenile delinquency,” the leader told Le Parisien.

In the last few hours, it has been known that Nahel had been subject to up to five police checks in the last two years. The controversy has also arisen after learning that, days before his death, had been arrested for refusing to appear in September before a juvenile court

The young man’s mother, Mounia, has led some of the marches to protest the death of her son. “What am I going to do now?”, he asked himself while leading one of the massive demonstrations that took place this week. “I dedicated everything to him. I only have one son, I don’t have 10. He was my life, my best friend,” she said.

What happened to the policeman who shot little Nahel point-blank?

The agent who shot Nahel last Tuesday in the middle of a traffic control has been jailed for a crime of voluntary manslaughter. The investigating judges in the case have acted along the lines of the Nanterre prosecutor, Pascal Prache, who had previously requested the indictment of the agent after considering that the use of the regulation weapon did not comply with the current legal framework.

The prosecutor had also requested his entry into pretrial detention and had previously been suspended from his duties by decision of the Ministry of the Interior. At first, the policeman assured having used the weapon because the young man threatened his integrity and that of the companion who accompanied him. However, the images that were disseminated showing what happened showed that, despite the fact that the agents came to speak of an attempted hit-and-run, their integrity was never in danger.

What has happened in the last days?

The tension and clashes between demonstrators and agents have been increasing in recent days. During the first night of disturbances, the French authorities arrived at arrest 24 people involved in protests in the streets. The head of the Paris Police assured that more than 40 vehicles had been burned and that several agents had been injured.

During the second night, the conflicts in the streets of the big cities of France increased. Total, 150 people were arrested after various public buildings such as schools and schools were attacked and set on fire. During this same morning, the detainees have risen to 667. The crisis is already affecting the entire country. Some schools have not been able to open their doors and the authorities have even gone so far as to cancel some public transport services such as trams and buses.

What public figures have reacted to Nahel’s death?

The death of the young man has provoked many reactions on social networks, most of them condemning what happened with Nahel. One of the figures that has shown his rejection of what happened has been the soccer player Kylian Mbappé. “I feel bad for my France. An unacceptable situation. All my thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Nahel, this little angel who left too soon,” he posted on his Twitter account.

The protests on social networks have also been added Koundé, the FC Barcelona footballer, who expressed his discomfort through his official Twitter profile. “A 17-year-old boy shot dead at point-blank range by a police officer for refusing to obey during a check. This is the reality of the situation and it is dramatic. As if this new police mistake wasn’t serious enough, the 24-hour news channels are making a big deal out of it.” started the post.

Later, the soccer player continued criticizing the work of some media and journalists who only asked questions with the aim of distorting the truth and criminalizing the victim. “A method as old as the world to hide the real problem. Why don’t we turn off the TV for a while and find out what’s going on?” ended.

Gerald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, was one of the first to react to the case. “The policeman was arrested. The videos we know are very shocking, with unjustifiable gestures, in any case. I ask for calm justice must take its course and we will draw the consequences, after the judicial investigation”, he assured. In the same way, Olivier Veran, official spokesman for the Government of Emmanuel Macron, also opted for prudence. “In view of the death of a young man in brutal conditions we share the emotion with the family and all of France,” he said.

Other well-known personalities have also reacted to the event, such as the famous French actor Omar Sy, protagonist of ‘The Untouchable’. “A justice worthy of the name must honor the memory of a murdered child,” he added.