The grandmother of a youth of North African descent killed in a traffic stop called for the end of the rioting that has shaken France over the last week. The relative of the young person identified only as Nahel M. made the comments as France deployed more than 40,000 police to put down the public unrest and rioters attacked the family of a local politician.
Nahel M.’s grandmother, identified as Nadia, said in an interview that those on the street should stop.
“Stop and do not riot,” she said.
“I tell the people who are rioting this: Do not smash windows, attack schools or buses. Stop! It’s the mums who are taking the bus, it’s the mums who walk outside,” she said.
Rioters have been targeting French public transportation.
The rioting began after police shot and killed the 17-year-old after he refused to pull over his Mercedes during a traffic stop. The officer involved in the shooting stated that he attempted to fire into Nahel M.’s leg, but was jolted by the vehicle and instead fired the fatal shot.
The rioting has disproportionately taken place in immigrant neighborhoods and has been marked by a series of fires and lootings.
Rioting on Saturday appeared to decline relative to Friday, especially due to the large number of police on France’s streets.
However, the chief of Paris police said that “no one is declaring victory.”
More and more football fans are starting to patrol the streets in France amid the escalating riots and looting
This video shows young supporters of Lyon out on the streets in the city tonight.
Vigilantism is on the rise in France.
Via @thecasualultra pic.twitter.com/Y6udNAcQQu
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 2, 2023
The wife of the mayor of a Paris suburb was hurt when rioters attacked their home.
Attackers drove through the gates of the mayor’s home and set the vehicle used on fire. The effort was intended to set the house on fire, according to L’Hay-les-Roses Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun.
When the mayor’s wife attempted to flee with their children, aged 5 and 7 when they were attacked by fireworks.
The mayor called the attack “a murder attempt of unspeakable cowardice,” adding that a “line has been crossed.”
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that the attack on the mayor’s family was “particularly shocking.”
She said that the attackers would be prosecuted with “utmost severity.”
