The grandmother of the French teen whose fatal shooting by cops has sparked violent nationwide protests pleaded for peace Sunday after a fifth night of riots and a total of more than 3,000 arrests.
“Don’t destroy the schools, don’t destroy the buses,” the grandma of the slain 17-year-old boy, identified in published reports as Nahel Merzouk, said to rioters who have taken to the streets. “We want things to calm down.
“I’m telling them to stop,” said the grandmother, identified in reports as Nadia, to reporters. “Nahel is dead. My daughter [his mother] is lost. … She doesn’t have a life anymore.”
The death of Nahel — a Muslim delivery driver shot during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre — has fueled long-standing resentment in some of the country’s less-privileged neighborhoods, where residents feel targeted by strong-arm police tactics.
His grandmother’s plea came after his funeral Saturday was followed by another violent night in the European nation, with angry protesters ransacking businesses, torching schools and official buildings and even targeting the home of a local mayor, injuring his wife and child, authorities said.
The violence has created a major challenge for President Emmanuel Macron, who was forced to cancel a planned visit to Germany on Sunday — the first by a French president in 23 years — to deal with the riots.
French police clashed with thousands of protesters Saturday night over the traffic-stop death of a Muslim teen last week. REUTERS
Cops have been deployed by the thousands to try to quell the nationwide unrest in France over the past week. REUTERSMacron drew more criticism when he was spotted dancing at an Elton John concert during the unrest.
Early Sunday morning, a burning car was sent crashing into the home of Vincent Jeanbrun, the mayor of L’Hay-les-Roses, another Paris suburb, injuring his family, as rioters clashed with police from Champs-Elysees to Marseille, according to authorities.
Jeanburn told reporters that the rioting — the worst the country has seen in years — represented a new level of “horror and ignominy.”
“At 1:30 a.m., while I was at the City Hall like the past three nights, individuals rammed their car upon my residence before setting fire to it to burn my house, inside which my wife and my two young children slept,” he said in a statement.
More than 700 protesters were arrested overnight into Sunday, adding to hundreds of others, including 1,311 cuffed Friday into Saturday. AFP via Getty Images
The police-shooting death has unleashed long-standing resentment in some of France’s less privileged neighborhoods. REUTERS“No words strong enough to describe the emotion towards the horror of the night,” Jeanburn added.
Police arrested about 700 people overnight Saturday into Sunday adding to hundreds of others, including the 1,311 cuffed from overnight Friday into Saturday.
Officials said 45 cops and gendarmes were also injured Saturday into Sunday, with 74 buildings — including 26 police stations — damaged and 577 vehicles set on fire, according to a report by CNN.
According to reports, three motorists have been killed in France during traffic stops so far this year, matching the total for all of 2022.
A 17-year-old Muslim boy identified only as Nahel was shot and killed by French police during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb last week, sparking nationwide violent riots. APPrime Minister Elizabeth Borne has promised that “we’re going to do everything to bring back order as soon as possible.”
A protester who only gave his name as Demba said he is skeptical that Nahel’s death will bring change.
“I doubt it,” he said. “The discrimination is too profound.”
Meanwhile, the unrest has raised concern among organizers and athletes in the Tour de France, the world’s most famous cycling competition, as riders prepare to leave Spain and head into France on Monday.
“Obviously we’re concerned,” said Philippe Mauduit, sports director for the French cycling team Groupama FDJ. “We can’t be insensitive to what’s been happening there, but there’s not much we can do.
“We wait for information from organizers, from law enforcement, and we will do what they tell us to do,” Mauduit said. “The organizers didn’t even mention it at the team meeting. It’s radio silence from them.
“We’ll adapt,” he added.
France was also rocked by weeks of violent riots in 2005 after the electrocution deaths of two teenagers while they were fleeing police in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.
With Post wires



