2023-07-02 19:26:00
Nael’s grandmother refuses to take advantage of his death and calls for calm
Nadia, the grandmother of the young man, Nael, who was killed by a policeman’s bullet in a Parisian suburb, called for calm and an end to the riots, as the protests enter their sixth night.
Nadia, in statements to BFMTV, refused to use her grandson as an excuse for vandalism, calling on the rioters to stop destroying cars, buses, schools, and storefronts, “which did nothing for you.” “Mothers are the ones who ride the buses,” she said, calling on the youth to calm down.
The grandmother of the teenager, who did not exceed 17 years, and was killed during a traffic check in the suburb of Nanterre, on Tuesday, expressed her dissatisfaction with the two policemen involved in “taking the life” of her grandson, and called for their accountability. And she said, “My daughter’s life ended (…) I, as a grandmother, took away my daughter and my grandson from me,” referring to Nael’s mother, Monia, who led a peaceful “white march” Thursday in honor of her son’s memory.
Monia, Nael’s mother, during the “White March” to honor her son’s memory in Nanterre, June 29 (AFP)
Commenting on the fundraiser for the policeman who killed Nael, which raised 600,000 euros as of Sunday, Nadia said: “It pains me. (This policeman) took my grandson from me. He should be punished as others are punished.” She added, “I trust justice,” expressing her support for the policemen who watch over security.
Relative decline in violence
Violence subsided on the fifth night of protests sparked by Nael’s death. The French Ministry of the Interior said, on Sunday, that the severity of the riots across France had decreased, while tens of thousands of police officers were deployed in cities across the country following the funeral of the young man of Algerian-Moroccan origin. The government has sent 45,000 police into the streets in an attempt to control the worst unrest in France in years, which has seen cars and public transport set on fire, shops looted, and municipal buildings, police stations and schools vandalized.
The Interior Ministry said it had arrested 719 people from Saturday night to Sunday, down from 1,311 detainees the night before, and 875 on Thursday night, as reported by Archyde.com.
The French Prime Minister addresses the media, accompanied by the Mayor of Lay-Lee-Rose (Archyde.com)
For his part, Laurent Nunez, the Paris police chief, said it was too early to say the unrest had been put down. He said, “It is clear that the damage was less, but we will remain ready in the coming days, with a high degree of focus, and no one claims victory.”
It is expected that French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with government ministers, on Sunday evening, to discuss the situation, following Prime Minister Elizabeth Born announced the activation of the “crisis unit.”
The most violent unrest centered on Saturday night in southern Paris and Marseille, where police fired tear gas to disperse rioters and scuffled with youths around the city center until late in the evening. Nael’s death fueled persistent complaints from low-income, mixed-race and human rights groups that the police practice systematic violence and racism within law enforcement agencies, which the authorities deny. The public prosecutor stated that the policeman, who admitted to fatally shooting the youth, told investigators that he wanted to prevent a police pursuit for fear that he or someone else might be injured. He is under investigation for premeditated murder.
“Ultimate Firmness”
An assault shocked the home of the mayor of Lay-les-Rose, south of Paris, France, on Saturday night. The mayor, Vincent Janbaran, said that “rioters” broke into his house at dawn with a car while his wife and two children were present, before setting it on fire with the aim of burning it. He made it clear on Twitter that what happened was an “unspeakably cowardly assassination attempt,” while he was in the municipality of the town, which is inhabited by regarding 30,000 people.
Last night, a milestone was reached in horror and ignominy. My home was attacked and my family was the victim of an assassination attempt. My determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than ever. I will not back down. #PasPourRien # Riots pic.twitter.com/9HW1eAFCXN
— Vincent Jeanbrun (@VincentJeanbrun) July 2, 2023
People close to the official, who belongs to the “Republican” party (right-wing opposition), indicated to Agence France-Presse that his wife was injured in her knee, while one of his two sons was slightly injured while trying to flee from the attackers. With attacks on French mayors and elected officials on the rise, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne assured Sunday from Lai-les-Rose that the government “will not tolerate any violence” and that “maximum firmness” will be applied in sanctions. The head of the Association of Mayors in France, David Lesnar, also launched a call for elected officials and citizens to gather Monday at noon in front of municipalities across the country. Lesnar confirmed that “150 municipal headquarters or municipal buildings have been attacked since Tuesday.”
In evidence of the escalation of violence once morest symbols of the state, the Ministry of Interior announced the targeting of 10 police stations, 10 gendarmerie barracks, and 6 police stations, from Saturday night to Sunday. For his part, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said, on Saturday, that regarding 10 commercial centers were attacked and looted, in the midst of the unrest. He added that more than 200 shops were attacked, and regarding 15 of them were set on fire, as well as banks, tobacco shops, sportswear and fast food outlets. And 719 people were arrested in the country for possession of tools that might be used as weapons or projectiles. The outbreak of unrest forced Macron to postpone his visit to Germany and leave an EU summit early. He called on social media platforms to cooperate with the authorities to help identify those “promoting violence”.
Emergency declaration controversy
In light of the violence, the French president was forced to cancel a state visit to Germany, which was scheduled to start on Sunday and last for two days, following he also cut short his participation in an EU summit hosted by Brussels on Friday.
Part of the political circles, pushed by politicians from the right and the extreme right, raises the issue of imposing a state of emergency in the country, which is a matter that is being followed closely abroad. Especially since France hosts a number of large events, most notably the bicycle race, which moved from Spain to France on Sunday, the Rugby World Cup in the fall, and then the Summer Olympics in 2024. The imposition of a state of emergency allows the administrative authorities to take exceptional measures, such as curfews. .
Part of the clashes between security and demonstrators in Paris, on the evening of July 1 (AFP)
Several countries have updated travel advice for their nationals to France, calling on them to avoid visiting areas experiencing riots. The French president’s popularity has already plummeted once morest the backdrop of widespread union-led protests this year over a raise in the retirement age, and a coordinated and drawn-out street uprising, similar to the yellow vest protests over high fuel prices, would pose a new challenge to his rule. Jan Wernert, of the Jacques Delors Institute think tank in Berlin, said the postponement of the visit highlighted the impact of the unrest on Macron’s ability to conduct foreign policy. He added, according to Agence France-Presse: “The official visit can be made at a later time, but the violent protests and reactions to them also show that the political mood in France is charged at the present time.”
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