Nahel M., a 17-year-old male of Moroccan and Algerian descent, was fatally shot by a police officer at a traffic stop, setting off a countrywide revolt over police violence and racism.
The killing of Nahel M. — which to many appeared more like a summary execution — exposed the most extreme form of the police violence that has long targeted communities of color in France.
For President Emmanuel Macron, it was another blow to his authority, as he was forced once again to confront a France on fire.
Still, the killing of Nahel M. might have ended up as little more than a secondary news item.
Early press accounts portrayed the police officers as acting in self-defense, shooting an erratic driver willing to plow through officers to escape custody.
Persons:
” Djigui, ’, Nahel, Molotov, It’s, Emmanuel Macron, Macron’s, François Hollande
Organizations:
PARIS, Lille
Locations:
Nanterre, Paris, Moroccan, Toulouse, Marseille, France