President Emmanuel Macron has sparked anger after attending an Elton John concert in Paris while violent riots continue to grip the country following the police killing of a teenage delivery driver.
Over the past four days, protests have escalated, leading to the arrest of hundreds of individuals. The unrest initially erupted after a police officer shot and killed Nahel M, a 17-year-old boy of North African heritage, in the suburb of Nanterre. The teenager had attempted to flee from officers who were attempting to pull him over.
Despite the ongoing arrests and fires blazing on the streets of France, Macron and his wife, Brigitte, chose to attend the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour by renowned British singer Elton John at the Accor Arena in Paris. Footage circulated showing the President tapping his foot along to Elton John's performance of popular songs like "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and "Burn Down the Mission."
Criticism swiftly emerged, with Thierry Mariani, a Member of the European Parliament representing Marine Le Pen's National Rally, calling Macron "totally irresponsible." Mariani, quoting from Ecclesiastes, remarked, "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child." He further added, "While France was on fire, Macron chose to applaud Elton John."
Social media platforms buzzed with disapproval of the President's actions
Social media platforms also buzzed with disapproval of the President's actions. One user commented, "Wrong timing," while another stated, "Macron is beneath everything." Another individual wrote, "At the same time a child was killed by police under his government, he's enjoying a show. Disgraceful."
Following an EU summit in Brussels, Macron held an emergency meeting on Friday to address the escalating violence described by Interior Minister Gerald Darminin as "rare." The government deployed 45,000 police officers, and the number of arrests has exceeded 1,100 as the riots persist across France.
During Thursday night's protests, demonstrators constructed barricades, set fires, and launched fireworks at the police. Armored police vehicles maneuvered through the remnants of burnt and flipped cars in Nanterre. In another part of Paris, protesters set fire to the city hall in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois and a bus depot in Aubervilliers.
Incidents of looting were reported, and schools and police stations became targets, prompting the use of tear gas, water cannons, and dispersion grenades by law enforcement to disperse the rioters.
The demonstrations followed a peaceful vigil organized by Nahel's mother, Mounia, on Thursday. She led the procession from a flatbed lorry, holding a poster that read "Police kill" and raised a red flare as the march reached the local courthouse. The crowd chanted her son's name in a show of support.
Accused officer charged with voluntary homicide.
The officer who fatally shot Nahel on Tuesday has been preliminarily charged with voluntary homicide. Nanterre Prosecutor Pascal Prache stated that initial investigations indicated that "the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met." According to Prache, the officers attempted to stop Nahel due to his young appearance and because he was driving a Mercedes with Polish license plates in a bus lane. Nahel allegedly ran a red light in an attempt to evade the police and got caught in traffic. The officer who fired the shot claimed that he feared either himself, his colleague, or a bystander would be hit by the car, added the prosecutor.
In an interview with a news site, Mounia, Nahel's grieving mother, expressed her pain, describing her only child as "a respectful, kind boy" and stating, "My life, my heart was taken away from me. I miss him. It's painful."
