Macron scraps trip amid rioting across France, as loved ones bury teen slain by police

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As violent protests continue to spread across France, President Emmanuel Macron cancelled a scheduled official visit to Germany on Saturday. The unrest was triggered by the police killing of a 17-year-old, leading to a fourth consecutive night of riots and looting, despite a significant police presence. Hundreds of people attended the teenager’s funeral.

France’s Interior Ministry disclosed that the recent night of violence resulted in 1,311 arrests nationwide, despite the deployment of 45,000 police officers in an effort to restore order. Since the teenager’s death on Tuesday, the total number of arrests stands at approximately 2,400.

Protesters and rioters flooded the streets of various towns and cities, setting fires and ransacking stores, ignoring Macron’s plea for parents to keep their children at home.

The escalating violence has impacted Macron’s diplomatic standing. After a phone conversation with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Macron postponed what was to be the first state visit by a French president to Germany in 23 years. His office stated that due to the internal security situation, he wished to remain in France in the coming days.

This cancelled visit, significant in the context of French-German relations, reflects the severity of the situation in France. Earlier this year, similar protests led to the cancellation of King Charles III’s inaugural foreign trip to France.

The teen, known only as Nahel, was shot by police during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. His farewell rituals started on Saturday with a viewing of the open coffin, and concluded with his burial at a hilltop cemetery.

The officer involved in Nahel’s killing has been preliminarily charged with voluntary homicide. The Nanterre prosecutor, Pascal Prache, said that the initial investigation suggests the officer’s use of his weapon wasn’t legally justified.

Nahel’s death sparked violence in major French cities, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon, as well as in overseas territories, where a 54-year-old was killed by a stray bullet in French Guiana. Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured.

Residents of neighborhoods riddled with poverty, discrimination, and unemployment, see the killing as indicative of a broader issue. They believe the response to Nahel’s death highlights the ongoing struggles in parts of France where many residents have roots in former French colonies.

France’s national soccer team appealed for peace amidst the escalating violence. “Many of us are from working-class neighborhoods, we too share this feeling of pain and sadness” over Nahel’s killing, they said in a statement.

Despite the turmoil, Macron has yet to declare a state of emergency, although the government has increased law enforcement response. The ongoing rioting adds to Macron’s political pressure. He has, so far, blamed social media for fueling the violence.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has mandated a nationwide nighttime shutdown of all public buses and trams. He has also called on social networks to prevent their platforms from being used to incite violence.

With the Summer Olympics due to be held in Paris and other French cities in just over a year, the ongoing unrest has sparked concern among the event’s organizers. The police shooting of Nahel and similar incidents have led to increasing demands for more accountability in France, which witnessed racial justice protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

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