France endured its fifth night of widespread violence this weekend as tens of thousands of police worked to contain protests.
France In Chaos After Shooting
France was thrown into chaos following the deadly shooting of a 17-year-old boy, Nahel Merzouk – a French citizen of North African descent, specifically Moroccan and Algerian, by a police officer during a traffic stop.
Nahel was in a Mercedes AMG with two others and was stopped by two police officers for breaking traffic rules.
After a social media video was released, citizens and others rioted and protested, blaming the police for an undue death.
Tensions centered on major cities like Paris, Nice, Marseille, and Strasbourg, with police launching tear gas and corralling protesters late into the night.
The interior ministry said police made 719 arrests nationwide by early Sunday, and that 1,311 people had been arrested on Friday night.
The night before the crowd was reported as “lower in intensity” – police made 875 arrests.
WATCH: The Disputed Police Stop
Allegedly, an officer shot at the teenager because he was driving his car at him, but this version of events was contradicted by a video circulating on social media and authenticated by AFP.
The footage shows the two policemen standing by the side of the stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at the driver.
A voice is heard saying: “You are going to get a bullet in the head.”
The police officer appears to fire at the driver at point-blank range as the car abruptly drives off, advancing a few dozen meters before crashing.
More than 3,000 people have been detained overall since Nahel’s death.
Still Under Fire
Some 45,000 police were on the streets with specialized elite units, armored vehicles, and helicopters brought in to reinforce its three largest cities, Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.
Rioting across France appeared to be less intense on Saturday (July 1), as tens of thousands of police had been deployed in cities across the country after the funeral of a teenager of North African descent, whose shooting by police sparked nationwide unrest.
The 17-year-old whose death Tuesday spawned the anger was laid to rest Saturday in a Muslim ceremony in Nanterre, a Paris suburb
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