World Courant
The honorary gathering comes a day earlier than France goes to the polls within the first spherical of early elections, with racism on the heart of the vote.
A yr after a French teenager of North African descent was killed by a police officer, his mom led a march to pay tribute to her son, which ended on the scene the place he was shot with out provocation.
A whole bunch of members of the family, pals and supporters gathered within the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Saturday to recollect 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who was shot lifeless at shut vary by a police officer throughout a site visitors cease on June 27, 2023. The killing induced shock and days of riots throughout France.
His mom, Mounia, addressed the gang after which burst into tears. Buddies wore white T-shirts with Merzouk’s photograph and residents of his housing mission held a banner studying “Justice for Nahel.”
The march ended on the spot the place he was killed and an imam sang and browse a prayer. Though there was no seen police presence, organizers recruited safety guards to make sure the safety of the occasion.
The procession got here at a politically charged time, as hate speech plagued the marketing campaign for early parliamentary elections on Sunday, and as an anti-immigration occasion – which needs to broaden police powers to make use of their weapons and has historic ties to racism and anti-Semitism – led within the polls.
Merzouk’s mom requested politicians to steer clear of the march to keep away from tensions. “I haven’t got Nahel anymore. I simply need justice for my son,” she advised the gang.
Assa Traore, 39, who has been preventing for justice because the loss of life of her brother Adama in police custody in 2016, stated: “This march is a strong image”.
“It signifies that historical past can not write itself with out us. We, from the working-class neighborhoods, are the direct victims of those elections. We realized early on that the Nationwide Rally and far-right events have been a hazard to our nation and can weaken it,” stated Traore, who has roots in Mali.
Individuals participate within the march in Nanterre in honour of Nahel Merzouk (Julien de Rosa/AFP)
‘Ethnic profiling is our day by day life’
Al Jazeera’s Berard Smith famous in a report from Naterre: “Nahel’s loss of life fueled the narrative that French police use extreme power and get away with it. The workplace of the UN human rights commissioner stated the taking pictures was a ‘second for the nation to noticeably deal with the deep challenge of racism and racial discrimination in legislation enforcement.’”
French voters will go to the polls on Sunday for the primary spherical of voting for the Nationwide Meeting, the decrease home of parliament, which may result in the nation’s first far-right authorities because the Nazi occupation in World Warfare II.
Citing “safety issues”, significantly in housing initiatives and different impoverished areas in French suburbs – or “banlieues” – the far-right Nationwide Rally (RN) occasion needs to provide the police a selected new authorized standing.
If cops use weapons throughout an intervention, they’re thought of to have acted in self-defense. Presently, cops have the identical authorized standing as all French residents and should show that they acted in self-defense after discharging a firearm.
In the meantime, the left-wing New In style Entrance coalition needs to ban using some police weapons and dismantle a notoriously violent police unit.
“Individuals worry a victory for the RN occasion. Individuals from working-class neighborhoods worry each day that our sons, brothers or husbands might be killed. Racism and racial profiling are our day by day lives,” Traore stated.
‘Conflicting Loyalties’
On Friday the RN was confronted with new accusations of racism A number one MP said {that a} former Minister of Schooling of Moroccan origin ought to by no means have been given the job due to her origins.
Lawmaker Roger Chudeau declared that Najat Vallaud-Belkacem’s appointment to the schooling portfolio in 2014 was “not a superb factor” for France, saying her French and Moroccan citizenship meant she had “conflicting loyalties.”
Nonetheless, the incidents did little to dent the recognition of the Nationwide Rally.
Opinion polls counsel that the RN occasion may dominate the following parliament after the second spherical of voting on July 7 and safe the prime minister’s place. In that situation, Macron would retain the presidency till 2027, however in a a lot weakened position.
March for Nahel Merzouk one yr after his loss of life by French police | Protest information
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