The shooting of Nahel M. took place on Tuesday, followed by four nights of violent rioting in major French cities, and nothing suggested any return to calm as the young man’s funeral unfolded.
His uncle, flanked by friends and security agents employed by the mosque, yelled abuse at anyone trying to film the proceedings.
It would have been a dangerous provocation for any uniformed French police officer to appear.
They would have gotten away with it, he said, but for the appearance of the apparently incriminating video that went viral.
“The government always protects the police, a state within the state,” he said.
Persons:
Nahel, Ahmed Djamai, ”
Organizations:
PARIS, French
Locations:
Badis, Nanterre