The protests entered their fifth day and turned violent as demonstrators burned cars, erected barricades in the streets, and fired fireworks at police, while police responded with tear gas. The French government deployed 45,000 police officers and armored vehicles nationwide in an attempt to quell the unrest.

Reasons for the outbreak of riots

On the morning of June 27th, a 17-year-old French teenager of Algerian descent, identified as Nahel M., was shot dead while driving and stopped in Nanterre.

According to local prosecutors, Nahel had previously refused to stop when spotted driving in the bus lane. After being forced to stop, two police officers approached the vehicle. According to videos shared online, the two officers leaned against the driver's side window, and as the vehicle sped away, one officer fired, shooting through the driver's side window at close range. Nahel died instantly from bullet wounds to his left arm and chest.

Nahel's mother is wearing a white T-shirt with the words "Justice for Nahel" and the date Nahel was shot, June 27, 2023. Photo: Getty Images

Prosecutors said the police officer who shot Nahel has been formally investigated for attempted murder and is currently in custody. The officer also admitted to firing the fatal shot, claiming he wanted to stop a car chase because he feared for his own safety and the safety of others after the 17-year-old violated traffic laws.

In protest against the shooting, thousands of people marched in memory of Nahel through the streets of Nanterre. Among the marchers was the mother of the 17-year-old, wearing a white T-shirt that read "Justice for Nahel" and the date of Nahel's shooting, June 27, 2023. Protests also erupted outside police headquarters in Nanterre and in more than 10 other French cities.

The violence erupted because images from the scene of the police shooting of Nahel stirred up and exacerbated long-simmering tensions between police and young people in hard-to-reach neighborhoods. Not only did the shooting reignite tensions between youth and police in Nanterre, but it also ignited long-standing tensions stemming from police brutality and systemic racism within law enforcement agencies. Protesters demanded police reform, renewing calls for reforms that had already made some progress following the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

The shooting in Nanterre also revived painful memories of the 2005 riots in France that followed the deaths of two young men who were electrocuted at a transformer station while fleeing police. The protests then lasted for three weeks and forced President Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency.

Government response

President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Marseille: “Nothing can justify the death of such a young person,” calling the shooting “inexcusable and unforgivable.” Macron’s government also deployed 45,000 police officers and, in an effort to prevent escalating and prolonged violence, ordered the deployment of armored vehicles. However, Macron rejected calls for a state of emergency.

A car is set ablaze during violent protests in France. Photo: Getty Images

While President Emmanuel Macron delayed declaring a state of emergency, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin ordered the closure of all public bus and tram services after 9 p.m. nationwide starting Friday (June 30). Authorities in several cities also canceled previously planned large-scale events, including concerts at the Stade de France. Macron also urged parents to keep their children indoors and argued that social media played a “significant role” in inciting riots. He specifically named Snapchat and TikTok as platforms being used to organize riots and cause unrest, acting as guides for those participating in violent protests. Cities and regions across the country are also continuously increasing preparations to deal with further protests.

More than 2,000 cars were burned and over 500 buildings were damaged; many shops were looted and clashes occurred between protesters and riot police in dozens of cities across France. According to the French Interior Ministry , the violent protests from Friday evening (June 30) to the beginning of this week forced police to arrest around 2,800 people, including 1,300 on Friday evening alone; more than 200 police officers were injured. Furthermore, the wave of protests in France spread to Switzerland with demonstrations in Lausanne following calls on social media. Seven people have been arrested in Lausanne in connection with the violent protests.

In a related development, Nadia (Nahel's grandmother), in a telephone interview with BFM television, called for calm and suggested that the rioters were merely using Nahel's death as "an excuse." She said: "Stop and don't riot anymore. I want to say this to the young people who are rioting: Don't smash shops, don't attack schools or burn buses. Stop! Your mothers are on the buses and in the streets."

HUU DUONG (compiled)