France is in chaos after the shooting of a teen by the police. The incident has sparked protests supposedly against police brutality and racial discrimination. While the role of Islamic fundamentalists and organised terror groups are being investigated, arsonists have set fire to cars, vandalized buildings, and clashed with riot police. President Emmanuel Macron is facing a major challenge in uniting the country and restoring order.
What ignited the protests?
A police officer in the Paris suburb of Nanterre shot and killed a 17-year-old boy of Algerian heritage during a traffic stop earlier this week. Footage of the incident shows two officers standing on the driver’s side of the car. One of the officers then fired his gun at the driver, even though the driver did not appear to be posing any immediate threat. The police officer who shot the boy has been identified as Jean-Pierre Dupont. The boy, Nahel, died at the scene. The police officer who shot him has been detained on homicide charges.
Following the shooting incident sparked protests in Nanterre and other cities in France. Protesters are calling for justice for the boy and an end to police brutality. Since the riots began, the protesters have been displaying signs with the message “the police kill” and have damaged numerous government buildings. The riots have been ongoing for several nights and have spread to cities across France and neighbouring countries.
French authorities have responded by deploying more than 40,000 police officers to patrol the streets. In Paris, around 5,000 security personnel have been mobilized. Police officers have been granted additional powers to quell riots, make arrests, and restore order. The riots have resulted in the injury of over 200 police officers. More than 1,000 individuals have been arrested for the riots.
Factors Contributing to the Unrest
Activists argue that Nahel’s killing was influenced by his race, exposing longstanding tensions regarding police discrimination against marginalized communities in France. French culture holds secularism, known as “laïcité,” as a fundamental principle, aiming to achieve equality by eradicating markers of differentiation, including race. However, many people of colour in France assert that they are more susceptible to experiencing police brutality compared to white individuals.
A 2017 study conducted by the Rights Defenders, a self-standing human rights organization in France, discovered a hinge that young men recognized as Black or Arab were 20 times more likely to be stopped by the police than their counterparts.
The French police have faced persistent allegations of brutality. The Council of Europe denounced the “excessive use of force by state agents” in a recent statement issued during protests against President Macron’s unpopular pension reforms. Human rights groups have charged the French police for engaging in ethnic profiling and have recommended comprehensive and systemic reforms to end discrimination.
The United Nations has called on France to address racism and discrimination within its law enforcement following the killing of the teen. In a statement released on Friday, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged French authorities to ensure that the use of force by the police is always in accordance with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution, and accountability. The spokesperson also expressed concern about the use of force by the police during demonstrations and urged French authorities to take steps to ensure that the use of force is always proportionate and necessary.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the UN’s comments, asserting that France and its police forces vehemently combat racism and all forms of discrimination. The ministry emphasized that there is no doubt about the country’s commitment to this cause and that the use of force by the national police and gendarmerie is strictly regulated, governed by the principles of absolute necessity and proportionality, and subject to strict frameworks and oversight.
Rise of Militant Islam in France
Two years ago, an open letter surfaced in France in a magazine which was signed by 20 retired generals, a hundred senior officers, and other members of the military, that criticized the French government for granting “concessions” to Islamism. This came to light soon after an African immigrant from Mali had killed an elderly woman in her house while shouting “Allahu-Akbar”. The incident caused widespread distress in the nation and many French cities started protesting against the government. The letter pertained to deep concerns over the unconsciousness of the French intelligence services in countering the Jihadist attackers.
The rise of Islamic extremism in France can be traced back to France’s long history of military interventions in Muslim-majority countries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, as a justification for terrorist attacks against France. This has contributed to the perception among Islamists that France is a hostile and oppressive power. This perception has been used to justify terrorist attacks against France, such as the 2015 Paris attacks and the 2020 Nice attack.
Most French people believe that not all Muslims believe in violence and most believe that violence should only be used in self-defence. However, the perception that France is a hostile power has been used by Islamists to justify terrorist attacks against France.
Implications for Macron
President Emmanuel Macron had hoped to use his second term as President to cement his popularity. However, the ongoing widespread riots are likely to hinder his aspirations. Macron has been criticized for attending an Elton John concert on Wednesday while the country was in the midst of violent protests.
Macron cut short his participation in a European Council summit in Brussels to return to France and address the crisis. He met with the boy’s family and promised a thorough investigation. He has also called for calm and urged the protesters to express their anger peacefully.
The French government is trying to prevent a recurrence of the 2005 riots, which were sparked by the deaths of two teenagers who were evading the police. The government has banned all “large-scale events” and urged parents to keep their children at home.
The protests are a major challenge for Macron in his second term as President. Macron will have to find a way to address the concerns of the protesters and contain rising Islamism if he wants to reinstate peace and unite the country as also restore his popularity.
(Harshita is pursuing a post-graduation in International Relations. She has an undergraduate degree in Global Affairs with a specialization in social sciences and humanities. She is a certified French speaker. Opinions expressed are the author’s own.)
References:
- Sana Noor Haq, Joshua Berlinger, Tara John, Barry Neild, and Xiaofei Xu, “Protests are sweeping France” (CNN)
- France riots LIVE Updates: Unrest rocks several cities ahead of the funeral of Nahel (Mint)
- French soldiers warn of civil war in new letter (BBC News)
- Why always France? The logic behind the surge of Islamist terrorist attacks on its territory and possible policy implications (CGSRS)
Dr. Niranjan B Poojar 
Bhagyashree Gupta 
Balaji Subramanian