Grandmother of French Teen Fatally Shot by Police Urges Rioters to Cease Violent Protests

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As France faced its sixth consecutive night of unrest following the tragic shooting of a French teenager by a police officer during a traffic stop, the grandmother of the deceased pleaded on Sunday for rioters to halt their violent protests. Meanwhile, authorities expressed their outrage over an attack on a mayor’s residence, which was struck by a burning car, resulting in injuries to family members.

In a telephone interview with French news broadcaster BFM TV, the grandmother of 17-year-old Nahel, identified as Nadia, conveyed her message, stating, “Please refrain from breaking windows, damaging buses, and vandalizing schools. We seek peace and tranquility.”

While expressing anger towards the officer responsible for her grandson’s death, Nadia made it clear that her frustration was directed at the individual and not the police force as a whole. She maintained her faith in the justice system, even as France grapples with one of its most significant social crises in recent years. The funeral for Nahel, identified only by his first name, took place on Saturday.

While the intensity of the violence appeared to be diminishing, the office of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that 45,000 police officers would be deployed once again to the streets as another night approached. These measures were aimed at addressing the anger stemming from perceived discrimination against individuals with roots in former French colonies residing in low-income neighborhoods. Nahel, who was of Algerian descent, was shot in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

President Emmanuel Macron held a special security meeting on Sunday night and planned to meet with the heads of both parliamentary houses on Monday, followed by a meeting with the mayors of 220 towns and cities affected by the incidents and damages on Tuesday, according to an anonymous participant in the meeting. Macron intends to conduct a detailed, long-term assessment of the underlying causes behind the unrest.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Macron postponed his scheduled state visit to Germany—the first by a French president in 23 years—which was supposed to commence on Sunday evening.

Police reported making 719 arrests on Saturday night, bringing the total number of detained individuals to over 3,000 since the implementation of heightened security measures. Numerous police officers and firefighters have been injured during the violence, although no official figures on protester injuries have been released.

French authorities expressed shock and dismay after a burning car targeted the home of the mayor of L’Hay-les-Roses, a Paris suburb. While police stations and town halls have been subjected to fires and vandalism in recent days, this personal attack on a mayor’s residence was deemed highly unusual.

Vincent Jeanbrun, the mayor and a member of the conservative opposition Republicans party, reported that his wife and one of his children were injured in the attack at 1:30 a.m. while they were asleep, while he was at the town hall monitoring the situation. Jeanbrun described the attack as a new level of “horror and disgrace” within the ongoing unrest.

Regional prosecutor Stephane Hardouin launched an investigation into attempted murder, revealing that preliminary findings indicated the car was deliberately driven into the house with the intention of setting it on fire. A bottle containing a flammable substance was discovered in the vehicle.

Macron attributed the escalation of violence to social media platforms, while the justice minister warned that young individuals who share calls for violence on apps like Snapchat could face legal consequences.

While some fearful residents in affected neighborhoods welcomed the extensive police presence, others saw the behavior of the police as a central issue exacerbating the crisis.

In Nanterre’s public square, a young man of Senegalese descent expressed skepticism about France learning from the recent unrest. Faiez Njai criticized the police, stating, “They manipulate our fears, suggesting that ‘If you don’t listen to us,'”—as he pointed a finger to his temple and mimicked firing a gun.

Video footage of the incident showed two officers standing at the car window, with one pointing a gun at the driver. As the teenager attempted to drive away, the officer fired a single shot through the windshield. The officer involved in Nahel’s killing has been charged preliminarily with voluntary homicide.

Last year, French police fatally shot thirteen individuals who did not comply with traffic stops, and three similar incidents occurred this year, leading to calls for greater accountability.

“The death of Nahel M. primarily reflects the rules and practices surrounding the use of weapons by police officers during traffic stops and, more broadly, the problematic relationship between the police and young people from working-class neighborhoods,” commented Le Monde newspaper in an editorial on Saturday.

Amid the unrest, a World War II monument in Nanterre, dedicated to Holocaust victims and members of the French resistance, was vandalized during a silent march held on Thursday to honor Nahel. Slogans such as “Don’t forgive or forget” and “Police, rapists, assassins” were scrawled on the monument. The European Jewish Congress denounced this act of vandalism as a “shameful display of disrespect towards the memory of Holocaust victims.”

While life carried on as usual in some parts of France—with tourists flocking to the Eiffel Tower and preparations for the Paris Olympics underway—there were reminders of the ongoing turmoil. Near Nanterre, a shopping mall buzzed with customers from various backgrounds. However, on the empty square where Nahel was shot, someone had painted the words “The police kill” on a bench.

Underneath a bridge close to the Eiffel Tower, where countless couples have symbolized their enduring love by attaching padlocks, a Senegalese man selling inexpensive locks and keys shook his head when asked if Nahel’s killing and the subsequent violence would bring about any change. He expressed doubt, only providing his first name, Demba, out of fear of reprisal, and emphasized that the deeply ingrained discrimination persisted.

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