On Tuesday morning, 17-year-old French Algerian boy Nahel M. kissed his mother Mounia goodbye as the pair left their home for work in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre.
It would be the last time they ever saw each other.
Hours later, Mounia discovered her only son had been shot dead at point-blank range by a policeman during a traffic stop in what has been described as an ‘execution’ – the latest and perhaps most egregious example of police violence in France.
Now, Mounia is leading protests against the authorities amid widespread outcry at Nahel’s death, which has prompted renewed speculation that France’s police force is rife with racial discrimination.
Yesterday she guided a 6000-strong group of demonstrators on a march through the streets of Nanterre, holding flares and chanting ‘Justice for Nahel’.
It came after she shared a tearful video on social media, lashing out at the officer who shot her son dead.
‘He gave me a big kiss and told me he loved me, I told him to be careful, we left the house at the same time and went to McDonalds, then I went to work like everyone.
‘He was everything to me, and that son of a b***h shot him,’ Mounia said. ‘I only had one, he was my best friend, my son, we were so close.’
France is now facing a third full day of bitter clashes between the country’s youth and riot police, after the past three nights saw hordes of protesters setting cars alight, attacking municipal buildings and chanting for justice.
Nahel’s mother, wearing a ‘Justice for Nahel’ T-shirt, raises her fist as she attends a march in memory of her 17-year-old son who was killed by French Police in Nanterre, near Paris, France, 29 June 2023
Nahel’s mother (2-L top), wearing a ‘Justice for Nahel’ T-shirt, holds a flare as she attends a march in memory of her 17-year-old son who was killed by French Police in Nanterre
Nahel’s mother (2-L), wearing a ‘Justice for Nahel’ T-shirt, thanks protesters for turning out
Left: A picture of smiling Nahel released by his family, along with the words: ‘The love of my life’. Right: A picture published in French media of the victim
Mounia, mother of the French teenager killed by police, attends a memorial march for her son
A black-clad protester is seen perched atop a traffic sign, as people take part in a march in the memory of 17-year-old Nahel
Mounia later told France 5 that she holds the shooter responsible, not the police force.
‘I don’t blame the police, I blame a person: the one who took my son’s life.
‘I have police friends, they are wholeheartedly with me. They do not agree with what he did,’ she said.
‘He didn’t have to kill my son, there were other ways of doing it. A bullet? So close to his chest? No… there are other ways of doing it. get them out (of the vehicle, editor’s note). Killing little ones like that… How long will it last? How many more children will die?’
The offending officer, who has not been identified, was taken into custody pending further investigation.
Mounia’s march, in which she led a stream of 6,000 protesters wearing white t-shirts with ‘Justice for Nahel’ emblazoned across them, was initially peaceful.
But as the march progressed, youths began to light fires and threw projectiles at the hundreds of riot police in the area.
Within minutes, large clouds of thick black smoke were seen trailing into the air, mixing with tear gas fired by the officers.
The demonstration came as President Emmanuel Macron convened a crisis meeting with police chiefs and senior minister, at which it was agreed to put an extra 40000 police on the streets.
Macron described the killing of Nahel as ‘inexcusable’, but he and his government ministers have condemned the protest as ‘damaging to the Republic’.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne today said that the government was considering ‘all options’ to restore order after widespread unrest and violence, including the declaration of a state of emergency.
This would give local authorities increased powers to declare localised curfews, ban demonstrations, and give police more freedom in restraining suspected rioters and searching homes.
Asked by reporters if a state of emergency was being considered, as some right-wing opposition parties have demanded, she replied: ‘I won’t tell you now, but we are looking at all options, with one priority: restoring order throughout the country.’
During the last nationwide urban riots in 2005, the then right-wing government declared a state of emergency after around two weeks of clashes.
Protesters throw fireworks at riot police during clashes in Nanterre, near Paris, France, 29 June 2023. Violence broke out after police fatally shot a 17-year-old during a traffic stop in Nanterre on 27 June 2023
Firefighters extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, Paris suburb, France, June 28, 2023
Firefighters stand as they extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, a Paris suburb, on June 28, 2023
A protester, perched atop a traffic sign, holds a flare during protests in Nanterre, near Paris today
French riot police react amid clashes with protesters during a march in tribute to Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police
Nahel, who worked as a delivery driver was gunned down at the wheel of his car.
A shocking video shows the moment a police officer stood at his window with his pistol drawn and aimed at the boy inside, before firing a shot.
In light of his death, the United Nations declared that France must address deep issues of racial discrimination in its police after a third night of unrest rocked France’s streets.
‘We are concerned by the killing of a 17-year-old of North African descent by police in France on Tuesday,’ UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a media briefing in Geneva.
‘We note that an investigation has been launched into alleged voluntary homicide.
‘This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement.’
Police sources said that rather than pitched battles between protesters and police, Thursday night was marked by pillaging of shops, reportedly including flagship branches of Nike and Zara in Paris.
Public buildings were also targeted, with a police station in the Pyrenees city of Pau hit with a Molotov cocktail, according to regional authorities, and an elementary school and a district office set on fire in northern town Lille.
Macron is returning to France from the European Council summit in Brussels to chair a crisis meeting on the violence – the second such emergency talks in as many days.
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