The family of a teenager shot by police have called for calm after five days of violent riots. The victim, aged 17 and named as Nahel, sparked anger as rioters in France clashed with police on Sunday (July 2).
The teenager was shot by police after failing to stop for a traffic check last Tuesday. France has seen since five days of violent rioting and unrest that also saw a mayor's home targeted with a burning car, injuring members of his family.
Police made 719 more arrests, bringing the total number of people detained to more than 3,000 following a mass security deployment aimed at quelling France’s worst social upheaval in years.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
The 17-year-old whose death spawned the anger, was laid to rest on Saturday in a Muslim ceremony in Nanterre, a Paris suburb.
On Saturday, a small crowd gathered on the Champs-Elysees to protest but met hundreds of officers with batons and shields guarding the avenue and its boutiques.
In another neighbourhood, protesters set off firecrackers and lit barricades on fire as police shot back with tear gas and stun grenades. Several schools, police stations, town halls and stores have been targeted by fires or vandalism in recent days.
The grandmother of the teen, who has been identified publicly only by his first name, Nahel, called on Sunday for an end to the violence that has followed his death.
Nahel’s grandmother, identified only as Nadia, said in a telephone interview on Sunday with French news broadcaster BFM TV: “People who are breaking things, I tell them: stop, stop.”
“Don’t break windows, buses … schools. We want to calm things down,” she added. "I am tired, I can't take it anymore, I can't sleep, I turned off the TV, I turned everything off I don't want to listen to this anymore."
She said she was angry at the officer who killed her grandson but not at the police in general. “Thank goodness police are there,” she said.
Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured in the violence, although authorities have not said how many protesters have been hurt.
French president Emmanuel Macron is to meet with government ministers for crisis talks. Mr Macron has blamed social media for fuelling the violence.
France’s justice minister has warned that young people who share calls for violence on Snapchat or other apps could face prosecution.
