July 3rd 2023.
Nadia Merzouk, the grandmother of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old who was shot by police on Tuesday, made a plea for peace on Sunday. Her words had an immediate impact, with the number of people arrested in France dropping dramatically.
45,000 police officers were deployed in Paris and other major cities, with curfews in place and the subway system closing early. Nadia was clearly emotionally exhausted when she spoke to French news channel BFM, wishing for an end to the destruction. She implored: ‘The people who are destroying, I tell them stop! Let them not destroy the schools, the buses.’
The impact of Nadia's plea was immediately felt. On Sunday, there were only 78 arrests across France in relation to rioting, compared to the 719 arrests on Saturday and 1,300 on Friday. Though there were still demonstrations on Sunday, they were far fewer than in previous days.
The violence continued into Sunday, with an attack on the home of L’Hay-les-Roses mayor Vincent Jeanbrun in the early hours of the morning. President Emmanuel Macron convened a special security meeting, and plans to meet with the leaders of both houses of parliament followed by discussions with mayors in the 220 towns and cities affected by the protests.
Mr Macron is looking to start a detailed assessment of the reasons that led to the unrest, which exposed deep-seated discontent in low-income neighbourhoods. Due to the ongoing violence, he was forced to delay the start of the first state visit to Germany in 23 years. To stay up to date with the latest news on the Paris riots and shooting, follow The Agency’s live blog.
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