France on the boil: Unprecedented riots sparked by police shooting in Nanterre

France has been plunged into unrest following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy, Nahel, in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, by a police officer, an act French President Emmanuel Macron labeled as “inexplicable” and “unforgivable”.

Macron extended his condolences and support to the family of the young victim during a recent visit to Marseille. The incident has stoked tensions, leading to nationwide riots, and has raised serious questions about police conduct in France.

Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, addressing the Senate, criticized the shocking visuals of the incident which, she stated, clearly violated the established rules of engagement for their police forces. Similarly, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin found the video footage of the incident deeply distressing and unacceptable under the laws of the Republic, calling the incident a “tragedy”. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the French National Assembly, led a moment of silence in parliament in memory of Nahel.

The recent fatal shooting has reignited debates about police violence in France. The death of a 19-year-old Guinean man earlier this month marked the second instance of a fatal shooting during a traffic stop in 2023, and adds to a rising tally of 13 similar incidents in 2022. However, the police have often defended such actions as self-defense, particularly in cases without video evidence.

Teen’s death at hands of police unleashes chaos in France. Photo courtesy of Hubert de Thé from Pixabay.

Following the circulation of the disturbing video of Nahel’s shooting, public sentiment has surged. The video shows two officers standing alongside Nahel’s car, appearing not to be in immediate danger. Audio from the incident seems to suggest one officer instructing the other to shoot, leading to escalated tensions and comparisons to the nationwide riots of 2005.

In response to the crisis, Macron and other top officials have called for calm. Darmanin emphasized the presumption of innocence for the police involved, while Caroline Abadie, a Renaissance Party MP, defended the police’s right to use force. This stance, however, has been met with criticism from police unions, who feel Macron’s condemnation of the incident as ‘inexplicable’ and ‘unforgivable’ undermines the separation of powers and judicial independence.

As riots continued to spread across France, the government took an increasingly firm stand. Macron condemned the “scenes of unjustifiable violence” during an emergency security meeting, with a focus on restoring peace. Prime Minister Borne echoed these sentiments, revealing that the government was exploring all options, including a possible state of emergency, to restore order.

In response to the escalating violence, the government quadrupled the normal police forces, deploying 40,000 officers. The arrest rates rose sharply as part of an effort to be “extremely firm” with rioters. The government is also considering adopting a more offensive approach to managing the crisis, as hinted by a police source.

As the country teeters on the brink of chaos, talks of appeasement have hardened. The government is determined to restore peace and order, ready to change security arrangements “without taboos”, as stated by Macron, who chaired a crisis meeting for the second time in two days.