France police shooting: 40,000 officers on streets amid worst riots in 18 years

Violence breaks out in cities across France for third night

French soldiers patrol near the Arc de Triomphe after a night of clashes in Paris. EPA

Prosecutor Stephane Hardouin addresses the press in L'Hay-les-Roses, Paris, after rioters rammed the mayor's home. AFP

French soldiers near the Arc de Triomphe. EPA

Police officers stand guard in front of the Dior building on Champs Elysees avenue in Paris. Reuters

French riot police pursue young protesters on Champs Elysees avenue in Paris. Reuters

Car overturned in street amid riots in Paris. Reuters

French firefighter works to extinguish burning motorbike during fifth day of protests in Paris. Reuters

Riot officer with baton approaches protester in Paris. Reuters

Firefighter works to extinguish burning car amid rioting in Tourcoing, France. Reuters

Demonstrators run as French police officers use tear gas in Paris. AFP

Bus set alight during clashes between protesters and riot police in Nanterre, near Paris. EPA

Fireworks go off during clashes between police and protesters. Reuters

Riot police in Nanterre, France. EPA

Protesters clash with French riot police after a march in memory of Nahel. EPA

French riot police after clashing with protesters during the march. EPA

Protesters and police face off. EPA

Protesters during the march for Nahel. EPA

Nahel's mother Mounia at the march in memory of her son. EPA

French riot police during the march. Reuters

People flee tear gas fired by police during clashes with protesters at the march. EPA

A burnt-out car a day after Nahel was killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop in Nanterre. Reuters

Workers sweep up debris from a burnt-out tram destroyed during protests in Clamart, south-west of Paris. AFP

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JUNE 29: Mounia, mother of the French teenager killed by police, waves to the crowds during a memorial march for her son Nahel on June 29, 2023 in Nanterre, France. A French teenager of North African origin was shot dead by police on June 27th, the third fatal traffic stop shooting this year in France - causing nationwide unrest and clashes with police forces. On June 28th, the victim's family called for a memorial march starting at Nanterre's main police station on June 29th. (Photo by Abdulmonam Eassa / Getty Images)

Police officers clash with protesters during the commemoration march in Nanterre. AFP

A protester waves a flare during the march for Nahel. AFP

People attend the march in Nanterre. EPA

Firefighters extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and French police on June 29. Reuters

The unrest is over the killing of a 17-year-old by police in Nanterre, Paris. EPA

Riot police on patrol in Nanterre, in the north of the capital. EPA

A car burns in the suburb as riot police pass. EPA

Protesters hurl fireworks at Paris riot officers. EPA

Tear gas was used against those protesting about the death of the boy, named only as Nahel M. AFP

Firefighters and police at the scene of protests in Paris. EPA

Teenagers are arrested in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. EPA

Fires burn in the street in Nanterre. AFP

Thousands of people, led by the mother of a French teenager killed by police during a traffic stop, protested in Paris on Thursday.

A police officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and held in custody in connection with the death of Nahel M, 17, who was shot in the chest in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday

His mother Mounia waved at the crowds from an open-top lorry, wearing a white T-shirt with the slogan “Justice for Nahel 27/06/23" and waving a heart shape.

“No justice, no peace,” the crowds chanted.

France has sent 40,000 officers on to the streets to quell violent protests sparked by the death of the teenager, as trouble spread beyond Paris’s suburbs for a third night.

In Nanterre, protesters torched cars, barricaded streets and hurled projectiles at police after a peaceful vigil.

Protesters scrawled "Vengeance for Nahel" across buildings and bus shelters, and as night set in a bank was set on fire before firemen put it out.

Local authorities in Clamart, 8km from central Paris, imposed a nighttime curfew until Monday.

Valerie Pecresse, who leads the greater Paris region, said all bus and tram services would be halted after 9pm after some vehicles were set alight the previous night.

National police said on Thursday night that officers faced new incidents in Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse and Lille, including fires and fireworks.

In Marseille, France's second city, police fired tear gas grenades during clashes with youths in the popular tourist spot Le Vieux Port, the city's main newspaper La Provence reported.

"The response of the state must be extremely firm," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said earlier in the northern town of Mons-en-Baroeul, where municipal buildings were set alight.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned earlier clashes, as he called France's worst riots in 18 years “wholly unjustifiable”.

“The last few hours have been marked by scenes of violence against police stations, but also schools and town halls, and thus institutions of the republic, and these scenes are wholly unjustifiable,” Mr Macron said, as he opened an emergency meeting to discuss the unrest.

He earlier described the fatal shooting as inexcusable but anger at the death showed no sign of abating.

Nahel's maternal grandmother told Sky News: “You know, Nahel, I will never forget him. He is my baby.

"The day he died he called me the day before and said, 'Granny, tomorrow I will come and do your shopping for you because I know you like fruit'.”

“I was at home when my daughter called me. She said, 'Mum, Nahel is dead'. I didn’t believe it at first with the shock.

"It was after when I saw my son. He was in front of me, lying. That’s all. I can’t speak.”

Some carried signs such as “Police kill”, “How many other Nahels were not filmed?” and “Our lives are in danger”.

Assa Traore, a well-known activist against police violence whose brother died after being arrested in 2016, told the rally: “The whole world must see that when we walk for Nahel, we walk for all those who were not filmed.”

About 150 people have been arrested across the country, with protests reported as far south as Toulouse.

Announcing police numbers would be more than quadrupled – from 9,000 officers to 40,000 – Mr Darmanin called the unrest “a night of intolerable violence against symbols of the republic”.

Writing on Twitter, he expressed support for the police and said, in an apparent swipe at the far left: “Shame on those who did not call for calm.”

Mr Darmanin was heading to the Seine-Saint-Denis department, just north of Paris, where a town hall was set on fire on Wednesday night.

“The professionals of disorder must go home,” he said.

There was no need yet to declare a state of emergency – a measure taken to quell weeks of rioting in 2005.

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said 130 police officers were injured in the clashes.

“All this has to stop,” Mr Dupond-Moretti said.

He gave no details about the types and seriousness of the injuries.

Mr Darmanin, who oversees the police, later gave a higher figure of 170 injured. He said none of the injuries were life-threatening.

The death of Nahel, reportedly of Algerian origin, has reignited public anger over police behaviour, particularly towards France's large ethnic minority population.

Police said he was shot in the chest after trying to drive at an officer, a claim contradicted by footage released of the incident.

In the video, a voice is heard to say, “You are going to get a bullet in the head”, before a police officer fires at Nahel, who tried to drive away from the scene.

Government spokesman Olivier Veran said it was important that the images posted online be used by investigating authorities.

Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around Nanterre and the government sent 2,000 police on Wednesday to maintain order. But violence resumed that evening.

Footage on social media showed protesters firing fireworks at riot police.

In the central city of Lyon, 35 people were forced to relocate after fireworks set their apartment building ablaze, the fire service told AFP.

Burnt-out vehicles in front of a school at Lormont on the outskirts of Bordeaux. AFP