‘Racial bias’ in France: Research shows Blacks, Arabs ‘face police brutality’ on much wider scale

Violent protests broke out in France in the early hours of Thursday as anger grew over the police killing of a teenager, with security forces arresting 150 people in the chaos that saw balaclava-clad protesters burning cars and setting off fireworks. Nahel, 17, was shot in the chest at point-blank range on Tuesday morning in an incident that has reignited debate in France about police tactics long criticised by rights groups over the treatment of people in low-income suburbs, particularly ethnic minorities. The teenager’s mother called for a march on Thursday afternoon in the Paris suburb of Nanterre where he was killed, in tribute to her only child. In a sign of the seriousness of the situation, President Emmanuel Macron called an early morning crisis meeting of his ministers, the Elysee announced. There had already been clashes the previous evening and while Wednesday night began calmly, unrest erupted in other French cities, including Toulouse, Dijon and Lyon before violence after midnight hit the Paris region, where around 2,000 riot police had been deployed. For in-depth analysis on the devastating effects of “racial bias” in France, FRANCE 24 is joined by Anne-Sophie Simpere, Author of “How the State Attacks our Freedoms” and Advocacy Officer at Amnesty International France with a focus on Civil liberties and Right to Protest.