Paris: 150 arrested as protests continue against shooting of teenager by police

PARIS: As many as 150 people have been arrested overnight by French authorities as protests broke out for the second night after a 17-year-old boy was shot dead by police, CNN reported quoting officials on Thursday. President Emmanuel Macron has called the violence against police stations, schools, and town halls "unjustifiable."

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted that "town halls, schools and police stations were set on fire or attacked" during a night of "unbearable violence," adding, "Shame on those who did not call for peace."

People are enraged over the fatal shooting of Nael by police during a traffic stop on Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, as per CNN.

According to French authorities, the incident sparked violent protests on Tuesday night that left 24 police officers injured and 40 cars on fire in numerous Paris suburbs. Authorities also said 2,000 extra police officers were mobilised on Wednesday afternoon in case the unrest continued into a second evening.

According to the Nanterre prosecutor's office, the policeman who is accused of shooting the boy was arrested on Tuesday and will face questioning from the prosecution, according to CNN.

According to the Interior Ministry, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday chaired a meeting of the inter-ministerial crisis unit over the incident and the protests that followed.

A day before, Macron spoke to journalists in Marseille and said, "Nothing, nothing justifies the death of a young man." "I would like to express the emotion of the entire nation at the death of young Nael, and give his family of our solidarity and the affection of the nation," said Macron adding, "We need calm for justice to carry out its work. And we need calm everywhere because the situation we can't allow the situation to worsen," as per CNN.

The 17-year-old was declared dead at 9:15 am (local time) "following at least one gunshot shout wound and in spite of the intervention of emergency medics, the Nanterre prosecutor's office said. According to the statement, one passenger in the car was detained and then released, while the other, who is thought to have fled the scene, is still missing. The prosecutor's office has asked for a toxicology report, along with other tests including an autopsy.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin took to his Twitter to inform that the event is being investigated by the national police.

He said, "Following the death of a young driver in Nanterre, who was being checked by two police officers, the IGPN has launched an investigation to shed light on the circumstances of this tragedy."

Earlier, Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez told CNN affiliate BFMTV in an interview that the officer fired when the teenager refused to follow police instructions.

"This vehicle made a first refusal to comply, then it was blocked in the flow of traffic where there was a new control attempt by the two police officers," he said.

"At that time the driver, who had first turned off the engine, restarted the vehicle, then left. It was in this context that the policeman used his firearm."

Irked by the teenager's death, protesters took to the streets in Nanterre. Images show firefighters extinguishing a burning car during the protests. Celebrities and some politicians too raised disgust, concern, and outrage at the shooting.

Star PSG player and French men's national football team captain Kylian Mbappe tweeted "I am hurting for my France. An unacceptable situation." Actor Omar Sy, star of the film "The Intouchables" and the "Lupin" TV show, tweeted, "I hope that justice worthy of the name will honour the memory of this child," CNN reported.