France police shooting prompts unrest: All you need to know

More than 40,000 police officers have been mobilised across France as the government tries to contain growing anger after a police officer killed a teenager.

The 17-year-old, known as Nahel M, was driving a rental car in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning when police pulled him over during a traffic check for breaking several road rules.What started the protests in France?
Police said that the teenager, who was of North African descent, was driving his car towards them, but footage emerged contradicting their narrative. A video circulating on social media showed a police officer pointing his weapon through the window and appearing to fire at point-blank range.

Nahel M died shortly afterwards from his wounds, according to the local prosecutor.

Too young to hold a full driving licence in France, the 17-year-old was driving illegally, a source familiar with the investigation said. The Nanterre prosecutor said he was known to police for previously failing to comply with a traffic stop order.

Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Nanterre, said that protesters, mainly young men, have thrown fireworks at police officers during overnight riots.“This is a suburb like any other where people have to go to work and school, and the majority of people aren’t taking part in this violence,” she said.

“They don’t want to see the violence but they are torn, everybody here understands the anger that is simmering. Nearly everyone saw that video,” Butler added.Where are people protesting?
The protests started in Nanterre, but anger spilled onto the streets in the northern city of Lille and in Toulouse in the southwest.How are authorities responding?
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said at least 180 people were arrested during a second night of unrest.

He also said that 40,000 police officers – 5,000 in Paris alone – were deployed on Thursday across the country – nearly four times more than the previous evening.What was Macron’s reaction?
French President Emmanuel Macron has described the killing as “inexcusable”, but also condemned the sometimes violent unrest, pleading for calm as justice takes its course.

He has also convened a crisis meeting with senior ministers, denouncing the shooting and the riots.

“The last few hours have been marked by scenes of violence against police stations but also schools and town halls, and thus institutions of the republic and these scenes are wholly unjustifiable,” Macron said as he opened the emergency meeting.