Killing of Nahel Merzouk: Difference between revisions
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Public outcry over the shooting of Merzouk evolved into protests and eventually riots. In Nanterre, residents started a protest outside the police headquarters on 27 June, which later escalated into rioting as demonstrators set cars alight, thrashed bus stops, and shot fireworks at police.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France braces for further protests after police kill teenager |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/28/outrage-in-france-after-police-shoot-17-year-old-in-paris-suburb |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629214904/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/28/outrage-in-france-after-police-shoot-17-year-old-in-paris-suburb |url-status=live }}</ref> In Viry-Châtillon, just south of Paris, a group of youths reportedly set a bus ablaze.<ref name=":13" /> |
Public outcry over the shooting of Merzouk evolved into protests and eventually riots. In Nanterre, residents started a protest outside the police headquarters on 27 June, which later escalated into rioting as demonstrators set cars alight, thrashed bus stops, and shot fireworks at police.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France braces for further protests after police kill teenager |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/28/outrage-in-france-after-police-shoot-17-year-old-in-paris-suburb |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629214904/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/28/outrage-in-france-after-police-shoot-17-year-old-in-paris-suburb |url-status=live }}</ref> In Viry-Châtillon, just south of Paris, a group of youths reportedly set a bus ablaze.<ref name=":13" /> |
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Revision as of 18:10, 1 July 2023
| File:Killing of Nael M. Video.ogv Excerpt from the original video of the shooting as posted on Twitter, showing a police officer firing into Merzouk's vehicle as he is driving off. The car horn is heard as Merzouk's head hits the steering wheel. | |
| Date | 27 June 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France |
| Type | Homicide by shooting, police killing |
| Outcome | Mass urban riots |
| Deaths | Nahel Merzouk |
On 27 June 2023, Nahel Merzouk (sometimes spelled Naël),[1] a 17-year-old French teenager of Maghrebi Algerian descent, was shot and killed by a police officer after a car chase and during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, France. Authorities arrested the police officer who shot Merzouk on suspicion of "voluntary homicide by a person in authority".
The killing led to widespread protests and riots in which symbols of state authority such as town halls, schools, and police stations, as well as other buildings such as supermarkets,[2] were attacked, as well as cars and trash bins set on fire. According to the Interior Ministry, over 1,350 vehicles have been set on fire,[3] and over 1,300 arrests[3] were made in connection with the riots.
Background
France saw a rise in incidents of police violence in the years before the killing.[4] This shooting was the third fatal shooting that occurred during a traffic stop in France in 2023. In 2020, there were three deaths, followed by two in 2021, and 13 in 2022. The victims of these incidents are often people of black or Maghrebi origin, leading to allegations of systemic racism within the French police system.[5] In May 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Council criticized the country's police force and urged the implementation of significant measures to address the excessive use of force in demonstrations, according to Sweden's representative.[6] The French government has frequently downplayed instances of police violence, sometimes even avoiding the use of the term itself, while police unions often hinder efforts to reform police tactics.[7] In 2022, approximately five officers were indicted in relation to the aforementioned shootings.[8]
On July 19, 2016, Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black man in France, died while in custody after being restrained and apprehended by the police.[9] This incident sparked widespread public outcry and led to protests. The outcry and protests were reignited in May 2020 when the officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing, coinciding with the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.[10][8] On June 14, 2023, Alhoussein Camara, a 19-year-old, was killed during a road check in Angoulême. His body was repatriated to Conakry, Guinea, by his family and the Guinean authorities. While there, they appealed to France for justice to be served.[11]
Nahel Merzouk
Nahel Merzouk (2006 – 27 June 2023) was a 17-year-old French-Algerian high school student. He was enrolled at the Lycée Louis-Blériot in Suresnes, where he attended classes for six months, then stopped going to school. To earn some money, Merzouk worked as a pizza delivery boy in Nanterre.[12][13] According to a paramedic who knew Merzouk, his father left his mother before he was born.[14] Merzouk did not have a criminal record[15] but he was "known to the police, particularly for resisting arrest", and in fact had been charged with resisting the previous weekend[16] and five times since 2021. His judicial file included 15 recorded incidents, including use of false license plates, driving without insurance, and for the sale and consumption of drugs.[17]
Shooting
On 27 June 2023, Merzouk was driving a rented[18] Mercedes AMG[19] without a driver's license in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. Merzouk was too young to possess a full driver's license.[20] Accompanying him in the car were two other passengers.[19] Merzouk was stopped by two police officers at approximately 8:30 am (CEST)[21][22] near the François Arago crossing, close to the Nelson Mandela Square, due to traffic violations.[23][24][25] An initial attempt by the police officers to stop the vehicle had failed, after which he drove through a red traffic light and then drove through crosswalks, endangering a pedestrian and a cyclist. Then the motorcycle patrol was able to stop the car. On the video, both officers are standing at the driver's window, both aiming their weapons into the car. The situation seemed under control, hectic movements are not visible.[26][27] During the encounter, one of the officers, a 38-year-old brigadier (a senior enlisted French police rank),[28] brandished a firearm, while the other officer engaged in conversation with Merzouk. It was alleged by the police that Merzouk refused to comply with their instructions.[29] In a video recording of the incident, someone can be heard warning, "you're going to get shot in the head."[30] When Merzouk attempted to flee the scene, the brigadier fired a close-range shot into his chest.[31][30] The police later claimed that they felt their lives were in danger, asserting that Merzouk had been driving towards them.[32][23] Merzouk's car accelerated and collided with a nearby post.[23][24]
Emergency medical assistance was provided to Merzouk, but he died at 9:15 am.[24][29] One of the passengers in the car was briefly detained by the police but later released, while authorities continue their search for the other passenger.[19]
An onlooker captured a video of the incident, which was subsequently shared on social media.[31]
Investigation
Merzouk rented the car through an application that did not require any documents.[33]
The brigadier is currently under investigation for manslaughter and has been placed in custody for the charge of "voluntary homicide by a person in authority".[5][34] The police have maintained that the shooting was an act of self-defense, as they argue that Merzouk was driving towards the officer.[34] However, since the video was released, this claim has faced significant criticism.[8] Yassine Bouzrou, a lawyer representing Merzouk, has stated that the video completely disproves this assertion and alleges that the brigadier had an "intention to kill".[8] Other lawyers representing Merzouk have made similar remarks.[35]
Two investigations have been initiated: the first for "refusal to comply" and "attempted voluntary homicide against a person in authority", and the second for "voluntary homicide by a person in authority". The latter investigation has been assigned to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN).[36][37]
Reactions
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the incident "inexcusable and unforgivable", adding that the incident "moved the entire nation". Macron's statements were noted for being a rare critique of French law enforcement from government officials,[38] who in the wake of recent crime surges are often hesitant to chastise police.[5] French football player Kylian Mbappé took to Twitter to denounce the incident as "unacceptable" and sent condolences to Merzouk's family.[18] French actor and comedian Omar Sy sent his condolences to Merzouk's family.[30]
Merzouk's mother Mounia called for a protest in her son's memory on TikTok,[8] calling for "a revolt for my son".[5] Merzouk's grandmother stated that she lacked forgiveness for the police and government, stating "They killed my grandson, now I don't care about anyone, they took my grandson from me, I will never forgive them in my life, never, never, never."[25]
La Liga footballer Jules Koundé criticized the coverage of the incident, stating that news media were capitalizing on the incident to "distort the truth" and find excuses to criminalize Merzouk. Left-wing politician and former La France Insoumise party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon called for police reform in response to the killing. Mike Maignan, a footballer for AC Milan stated on Twitter that "It's always for the same people that being in the wrong leads to death."[18]
Le Parisien and BFM TV have been criticized for relaying the police's account without any caution in the early hours of the event, before changing their narrative in response to the video evidence and pressure from other media outlets.[39]
Eric Ciotti, president of the conservative The Republicans, expressed his support for the police, dubbing them defenders of collective security and denouncing the ensuing unrest as unjustified.[35] Far-right politician Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, dubbed Macron's statements as "excessive" and "irresponsible", adding that "the president is prepared to ignore constitutional principles in a bid to put out a potential fire."[40]
The French National Assembly held a minute of silence to mourn the incident.[28] The support of Merzouk and his family by French politicians was noted as being rather unusual, as contrary to their typical hesitancy to criticize police within the country. The BBC's Hugh Schofield attributed this to the effects of social media, allowing for the dissemination of such videos with ease, as well as fear stemming from the ensuing riots. The French police unions did not respond kindly to their lack of support from government officials, with Alliance Police nationale, a minor far right[verification needed] French police union, lambasting Macron for his opposition to the police, stating that it is "hard to believe that the president, contrary to his past statements of support for the police… should so flout the separation of powers… as to condemn our colleagues before justice has had the chance to speak".[41][42]
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement on June 29 in which it expressed that Algeria learned with "shock and consternation the brutal and tragic disappearance of the young Merzouk" and that the country is following the case with "great attention",[43] while also adding that Algeria trusts the French government[44] to assume its duty of protection and security for Algerian nationals on French territory.[45]
Among those criticizing the French government, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated the police forces in France have a problem of institutional racism, a claim that would later be directly denied by the French Government.[46][dead link]
Nationwide unrest
Public outcry over the shooting of Merzouk evolved into protests and eventually riots. In Nanterre, residents started a protest outside the police headquarters on 27 June, which later escalated into rioting as demonstrators set cars alight, thrashed bus stops, and shot fireworks at police.[47] In Viry-Châtillon, just south of Paris, a group of youths reportedly set a bus ablaze.[7]
In Mantes-la-Jolie, a town 40 km northwest of Paris,[48] the town hall was set ablaze after being firebombed[49] on the night of 27 June, burning until 3:15 (CEST).[7][50][unreliable source?] Clashes continued throughout the night across France, including Toulouse and Lille.[7] Unrest was also reported in Asnières, Colombes, Suresnes, Aubervilliers, Clichy-sous-Bois and Mantes-la-Jolie.[30]
By 29 June, over 150 people had been arrested,[51] 24 officers had been injured, and 40 cars had been torched.[40][8] Fearing greater unrest, Gérald Darmanin, Interior Minister of France, deployed 1,200 riot police and gendarmes in and around Paris, later adding an additional 2,000.[8][7][40] On 29 June, Darmanin announced that the government would deploy 40,000 troops nationwide.[52]
On 29 June, a vigil march was held in Nanterre in memory of Merzouk.[53]
References
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il était « connu des services de la justice notamment pour refus d'obtempérer » [...] avait été déféré au parquet de Nanterre le week-end dernier, pour refus d'obtempérer [...] Il avait également été mis en cause pour un autres refus d'obtempérer en 2022
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "Anger in Paris after police kill teen in traffic stop". BBC News. 27 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
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- ^ "Jeune homme tué à Nanterre après un refus d'obtempérer : après le drame, deux enquêtes ouvertes". Europe 1 (in French). 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
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{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Disparition du jeune Nahel: l'Algérie suit avec une "très grande attention" les développements de l'affaire". Algérie Presse Service (in French). 29 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
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