Violence is far from over in France in response to the death of young Nahel at the hands of a police officer. On the night from Friday to Saturday, strong demonstrations broke out in different parts of the country, in which excesses occurred. Macron canceled his visit to Germany and the Interior Ministry reported that more than 1,300 people were detained, but assured that the violence occurred with “less intensity.” This Saturday, July 1, will be marked by Nahel’s funeral.
First modification: Last modification:
France remains on fire in rejection of the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old boy, who died at the hands of a policeman on Tuesday, June 27. The event occurred in Nanterre, near the capital of the country, Paris.
Since then, protests have been held for four nights – many of which have turned violent – in different parts of the French territory. For four consecutive nights, protesters and police have clashed, resulting in the arrest of thousands of people.
Nahel’s case was disseminated on social networks through a video taken by a witness in which the agent was seen pointing at the victim and later shooting him directly when he tried to start his car.
Follow the most outstanding news of the day:
- 8:00 (BOG) French President Emmanuel Macron postpones his state visit to Germany amid internal crisis
The French president has postponed a state visit to Germany, which began tomorrow, Sunday, due to the riots in France. Both countries announced it on Saturday.
Macron spoke to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier by phone on Saturday and briefed him on the situation, a spokesman for the German president said.
- 7:24 (BOG) Lion mayor requests reinforcements after unprecedented riots
The ecologist mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet called on Saturday, July 1, for the immediate dispatch of police reinforcements, after riots marked by hours of looting and degradation in all districts, before police forces sometimes “overwhelmed and insufficient in number” .
The city “was plagued by riots of unprecedented intensity, degradation and violence,” he said during a news conference at town hall after a crisis meeting.
- 6:40 (BOG) Italian authorities lament violence in France
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani lamented the “obvious malaise” that reigns in the French suburbs.
“This is an issue that concerns France exclusively,” Tajani, also deputy prime minister in the far-right government headed by Giorgia Meloni, first asserted, who was questioned about the situation in France on Radio 1.
- 6:10 (BOG) Three policemen injured by shotgun fire in Vaulx-en-Velin
In Vaulx-en-Velin, on the outskirts of the city of Lyon, a protester fired a shotgun at three policemen who were injured during the night of protests, according to a police source.
- 5:55 (BOG) Nahel’s funeral ceremony begins in Nanterre
This Saturday’s day will be marked by tributes to Nahel. At the Nanterre funeral home, the young man’s funeral ceremony began. There his relatives met. Burial will take place in the afternoon in the Mont-Valérien cemetery.
Via a communiqué de ses avocats, the family of Nahel appealed to the journalists à se pas se rendre aux différentes étapes des funérailles demain #AFP pic.twitter.com/SlnCXvtksP
— Leo Mouren (@leomouren) June 30, 2023
This morning, the young man’s family lawyers had asked that his privacy be respected. In a statement, they urged journalists not to be present at the funeral to avoid any “media interference.”
“Saturday, July 1, will be a day of meditation for the Nahel family,” lawyers Mes Abdelmadjid Benamara, Jennifer Cambla and Yassine Bouzrou wrote. In addition, they called for “providing grieving families the privacy and respect they need during this difficult time.”
“That is why the Nahel family asks all journalists not to go to the places of the different stages of this day and to respect their choice of discretion,” the message concluded.
- BOG (5:40) New report from the Ministry of the Interior reports that 1,311 arrests have been registered
The Ministry of the Interior released a new balance of the demonstrations from Friday to Saturday. The report ensures that there were a total of 1,311 people arrested and details that of these, 752 people were arrested in the police area, 406 in Paris and 153 in the gendarmerie area.
In addition, the ministry assured that the day was marked by a “lower intensity.” It also registered 31 attacks on police stations, 16 attacks on municipal police stations and 11 on gendarmerie barracks.
Earlier, a police source had stated to AFP that in recent days 1,350 vehicles were set on fire, 234 buildings burned or damaged, and 2,560 fires registered on public roads.
With Reuters and AFP
