French Police Arrest 150 in Second Night of Protests over Police Killing of 17-Year-Old
HAVANA TIMES – In France, anger over the police killing of a 17-year-old boiled over into protests for a second straight night in over a dozen cities. Protesters set fire to cars, trash cans and police stations, and launched fireworks at officers, who responded with volleys of tear gas. France’s interior minister said 150 people have been arrested. Some 2,000 riot police were called up in suburbs around Paris, including in Nanterre, where the teen — who’s been identified only by the name “Nahel M.” — was shot dead Tuesday after he was pulled over for allegedly breaking traffic rules.
Video posted on social media contradicts the claims of police, who initially reported one officer shot the teen for driving his car directly at them. Instead, the video shows two officers standing beside the vehicle; one of them points a gun as a voice is heard saying, “You are going to get a bullet in the head.” The officer then fires at close range as the boy drives off. French President Emmanuel Macron called the teen’s killing “unexplainable and inexcusable”; he also said the resulting protests were “absolutely unjustifiable.” French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne condemned the actions of officers.
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne: “The shocking images broadcast yesterday show an intervention that clearly does not seem to comply with the rules of engagement of our law enforcement officers.”