France is burning
France Roits : The grandmother of a 17-year-old named Nahel Merzouk, who tragically lost his life to a police officer’s bullet in a suburb of Paris just last week, has made a heartfelt plea for an end to the destructive protests that have engulfed the nation following his untimely demise.
In an emotional appeal to the protesters, Nahel’s grandmother, Nadia, conveyed her message through an interview with CNN’s affiliated network, BFMTV. She urged the demonstrators to refrain from causing harm to schools and damaging buses, emphasizing that it is the mothers who rely on these buses.
Expressing her exhaustion, Nadia candidly shared, “I am weary,” while also highlighting the immense toll the incident has taken on Nahel’s mother, stating that she no longer has a life.
Nightly demonstrations have erupted in various cities throughout France, as well as its overseas territories, in the past week. The protesters have been driven by anger and accusations regarding the treatment of marginalized communities by the French police, prompting them to question whether Nahel’s death was influenced by racial factors.
In response to the ongoing violent unrest, the French government has taken firm measures, deploying over 45,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country on Sunday night alone.
More than 2,000 individuals have been taken into custody since the commencement of the protests. During the Sunday night to Monday morning period, specifically, 157 people were detained as reported by the French Ministry of Interior.
A considerable number of those apprehended during the course of the protest movement are individuals under the legal age, as mentioned by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Saturday. He further stated that the average age of these minors is 17 years. In an effort to prevent any further unfortunate incidents similar to the death of Nahel, the police have been instructed to exercise caution and avoid escalating the situation. Minister Darmanin referred to the rioters as “thugs.”
Minister Darmanin expressed his belief that the authorities should engage in dialogue with the communities affected by the protests while maintaining a firm stance against these criminal elements. He believes that striking a balance in this regard is crucial. He emphasized that there should be no tolerance for social justifications where none exist.
The Nanterre prosecutor announced earlier this week that the police officer responsible for shooting Nahel has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and placed in preliminary custody. Meanwhile, a popular right-wing TV commentator created a GoFundMe page to support the officer’s family, which has amassed more than 1 million dollars as of Monday.
In contrast, a separate crowdfunding campaign aimed at assisting Nahel’s grieving mother has collected a little over a quarter of the amount raised for the officer’s family, totaling around $263,000. The campaign highlights the devastating impact of Nahel’s loss on his mother and emphasizes the need for support as she prepares to face the long and challenging legal proceedings ahead.
The funeral for Nahel took place on Saturday at a local mosque, accompanied by heightened security measures.
According to a source present at a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and his top officials on Sunday, Macron is expected to initiate a process of thorough investigation to deeply understand the underlying causes of the unrest surrounding Nahel’s shooting. Furthermore, Macron has scheduled meetings with the presidents of both houses of the French parliament on Monday and plans to engage with 220 mayors from across France on Tuesday, as reported by the same source.
Additionally, the French government has announced its intention to allocate approximately 20 million euros (nearly $21.77 million) to repair municipal CCTV equipment that was damaged prior to the end of the summer, as stated by the French Interior Minister.
